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Posted to the web 2 July 2008

Wanjiru Waithaka

Some politicians and activists have asked their countries to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics citing China's human rights record in Tibet.

The Olympic torch relay was marked by protests in London and Paris and organizers rerouted it at the last minute in San Francisco to avoid pro-Tibet protesters. Now, where does advertising go from here?

GA_googleFillSlot("AllAfrica_Story_Inset"); An advertising boycott of the Olympics is unlikely as it remains the world's biggest sporting event in terms of showcasing brands.

For one, full-fledged Olympic sponsors and media buyers are tightly locked into the event as part of costly long-term commercial deals with Games organizers.

But that aside, for marketers the potential gains from participating still outweighs the disadvantages caused by the turmoil.

And with the games just six weeks away the marketing juggernaut harnessed to the sport is rolling and...

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