From The "Plus a Change" File: GM And The Vancouver Olympics
GM withdrew its sponsorship of the US Olympic team after the 2008 games, because, as a spokesperson explained at the time, “we have other avenues to be able to reach this same audience without bearing the expense of being an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team.” However, GM is a main sponsor and official vehicle supplier of the 2010 games in addition to being the main sponsor of the Canadian national team. According to TNS Media, GM was the leading advertiser in the 2006 Winter Games, spending $111.6m and leading the auto sector to a resounding lead in ad spending (total $156.7m). General Motors has reportedly cut back its ad spend on Vancouver, but details aren’t being disclosed. And at least one GM investment in Vancouver-related publicity won’t be paying off: the General Motors Place is being temporarily renamed the Canada Hockey Place in order to comply with IOC standards. We’d normally make some crack here about your tax dollars at work, but Olympic sponsorships are lined up years in advance. Too bad that back in 2007, when GM was losing $2b annually, it denied that its financial status had anything to do with its removal of US Olympic team sponsorship. Had the firm been more realistic about its financial health… well, who knows where we’d be right now.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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By far the most common Olympic$$ vehicles running around the Vancouver area are Buick Enclaves. There seem to be hundreds of them. I trust that the average passenger count in each justifies using such large vehicles.
Those Special '88 Olympic editions must be worth a mint as collectables. I mean, who wouldn't want a refrigerator white Celebrity? :)
The Olympic$$ I hear ya.....Enclaves eh? made in the USA. Maybe they could send us some U.S. made snow, we could really use some of that stuff.
C'mon whats the big deal? This is the bankrupt Olympics after all! GM as the main sponsor, the owner of the Whistler/Blackcombe resort has also gone bust meaning that the resort will be auctioned off half way into the games, not to mention how many cuts the city of Vancouver is having to make to public services to pay for it all. I don't think the people of Vancouver will ever forgive those who organised it if Canada don't win gold in Ice Hockey!