MediaFile

When is Olympic sponsorship money well spent? A Performance Research poll shows it may depend on how the funds are used.

Coke, McDonald's and Visa dominate consumer awareness when it comes to the Olympics, according to a study by the Rhode Island-based research firm that evaluates the sponsorship industry.

Sixty-eight percent of Americans polled confirmed the Olympic sponsorship of Coke and McDonald's, followed closely by 66 percent for Visa, Performance Research said. Those three companies also were listed as having consumers' favorite Olympic TV commercials and doing the most to support the Games.

"They start their advertising early and they're continuous with it," Performance Research President Jed Pearsall said of the three companies' success. "They're always reminding people they're Olympic sponsors."

Other sponsors trailed far behind in consumer awareness -- AT&T (36 percent), Procter & Gamble (27 percent), Polo Ralph Lauren (26 percent), GE (25 percent), Samsung (24 percent) and Panasonic (20 percent), according to the study.

Sort of a tough week to have Michael Phelps featured in one of your advertisements. Or Alex Rodriguez, for that matter. But what if you use both world famous athletes in your advertising? Or worse yet, what if you use them both in the same spot?

Then you’d know how Activision feels.

Starting last October, the video game maker launched a new TV advertising campaign for the release of Guitar Hero World Tour, the new installment of the mega-popular game. Here’s how they described the idea behind the campaign: “Paying tribute to the famous lip- and guitar-syncing scene that appeared in the popular film ‘Risky Business’, each ad will highlight different celebrities jamming on instruments from Guitar Hero World Tour to the song ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’, performed by Bob Seger.”

So who do you think Activision picked to feature in its first Risky Business jam session? Yep, A-Rod and Phelps… Normally that would seem a rock-solid choice for a marketer, but it’s all a bit awkward at the moment, what with all that drug stuff.

We won’t be tempted by puns. Or any sort of lame wordplay.  We’ll play this straight. Seriously. Here goes: After all the bad publicity caused by a photo of Michael Phelps apparently taking a bong hit, Kellogg has decided to dump the superswimmer.

Okay, now that’s out of the way. Here’s the basics from Reuters:

The world’s largest cereal maker said on Thursday it would not extend a contract with Phelps, who charmed audiences in Beijing last year with a record-breaking, eight-gold medal haul, saying the photo of the swimmer was inconsistent with its public image.

Phelps, estimated to make millions of dollars annually from marketing deals, issued an apology this week after a British newspaper published a photograph purportedly showing him smoking marijuana during a student party at the University of South Carolina in November.