LOCOG to auction digital ad space

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is to auction its digital ad space around the 2012 Games to its sponsors.

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Starting in June 2011, the opportunities are focused on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games-time websites, mobile browsable versions of these sites, mobile applications and email communications.

Digital inventory will be sold via an online purchasing portal. Sponsors will be able to bid for packages – labelled gold, silver and bronze – plus takeovers of certain sections of the Olympic and Paralympic websites such as photo galleries, medals table and certain sports.

LOCOG expects that London 2012’s Games websites will receive more than one billion visits over the course of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

LOCOG commercial director Chris Townsend says: “This is the first time that an Olympic Games has chosen to sell its digital assets in this way.

“We are already seeing the benefits of undertaking a process in this way with our outdoor advertising auction. Our Games-time websites are going to be the go-to source for all Olympic and Paralympic information and there are fantastic opportunities for our sponsors to be part of this.”

Media packs are currently being sent to sponsors and their agencies and they are urged to contact the London 2012 commercial team to discuss the opportunities and next steps.

Bidding will commence in early July 2011. The move follows deals to sell outdoor advertising space to its sponsors.

The sponsors who can bid:

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners – Adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB.

There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.

There are 24 domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, Next, The Nielsen Company, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Ticketmaster and Trebor.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games Partner – Sainsbury’s.

There is one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Supplier – Otto Bock.

The Worldwide Olympic Partners signed up for London 2012 are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

This story first appeared on Pitch, Centaur’s subscription-based online interactive marketplace for agencies and clients to share news, opinion and debate.