2008 Olympic Games

National China Mobile Promotion is Powered by MyClick

China Mobile is using the power of MyClick, the world’s leading image matching mobile marketing platform, to excite, entertain, engage and reward users during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. China Mobile’s unique “Share a Wish” Promotion is taking place across China and on-site at the Beijing games.

Across China, China Mobile phone users are invited to take a photo of any China Mobile logo appearing on publications, billboards, websites or TV and send the image by MMS to 10663111164 or email to s@myclick.cn to cheer on their favorite athletes and to receive the Olympic themed ringtone downloads courtesy of China Mobile.

Visitors to the China Mobile Olympic Pavilion at the Beijing games can simply use their mobile phone camera to take a photo of any China Mobile logo or an image of the “Minds Meeting Point” and “Music Ringtone Download” images appearing in the Halls and projected on ceilings and send the image on MMS to 106631111 or send an email to receive a WAP link for them to leave good wishes and cheer for the Olympic athletes at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and to receive a special Olympic themed ringtone, compliments of China Mobile.

MyClick’s image matching technology is a ground-breaking and unique photo recognition mobile marketing platform. It empowers all mobile users with the ability to enjoy exciting and exclusive infotainment and mobile-commerce information upon demand. Through MyClick-enabled images, users can access instant interactive content from all media forms such as newspapers, magazines, TV, billboards and content on the Internet. With MyClick, users can perform photo and product searches, join in user generated photo-blogging, and take part in fun games such as treasure hunts and lucky draws as well, or receiving instant gifts and rewards from marketers.

Justin Tsang, Chief Technology Officer, MyClick Media, said “We’re honored and proud to be a technology enabler for China Mobile to heighten the fun and encourage participation and sharing amongst Visitors to their Pavilion during the Olympics, as well as to extend the convenience of cheering on favorite Athletes throughout the Olympic Games across China.”

Source: MyClick Media Limited

“Commercialism is overrunning the Olympics,” contends a report issued today by Multinational Monitor magazine and Commercial Alert, an advocacy group.

Commercialism “is undermining the professed ideals of the Olympic Games, and subverting the Olympics’ veneration of sport with omnipresent commercial messaging and branding,” charges the report, “The Commercial Games: How Commercialism is Overrunning the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.”

A record 63 companies have become sponsors or partners of the Beijing Olympics, and Olympic-related advertising in China alone could reach $4 billion to $6 billion this year, according to CSM, a Beijing marketing research firm.

The Olympic Partners (TOP) program, run and managed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1985, includes 12 companies for the Beijing Olympics. These 12 companies have paid $866 million to the International Olympic Committee.

The U.S. Olympic system is awash in corporate sponsor money. Well over 100 corporations are sponsoring the U.S. Olympic Committee or U.S. national teams.

“The Olympic rush to sell sponsorships to the highest bidders has led to partnerships with companies whose products or methods of doing business betray Olympic ideals: junk food hawkers, beer and liquor peddlers, and equipment makers reliant on sweatshop contractors, among others,” says Jennifer Wedekind, co-author of the report and Multinational Monitor associate editor.

“The Commercial Games” documents the extent of sponsorship deals attached to the Olympics and official Olympics-related committees, down to everything from the “official home and industrial flooring supplier” to the “frozen dumplings exclusive supplier” of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

“The Olympic ideals of promoting authentic culture and education have been drowned beneath a sea of sponsorship and marketing arrangements,” says Robert Weissman, managing director of Commercial Alert and editor of Multinational Monitor.

“The Commercial Games” recommends that the IOC, National Olympic Committees, and international and national sports governing bodies scale back the overall number of sponsorships. The report also urges the IOC and other Olympic bodies to refuse sponsorships from alcohol or junk food companies, or companies tied to gross human rights violations.

“The Commercial Games” is available at: www.multinationalmonitor.org/2008olympics.html.

Multinational Monitor is a bimonthly magazine reporting critically on the activities of multinational corporations www.multinationalmonitor.org. Commercial Alert is an advocacy group that aims to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere www.commercialalert.org.

Source: Commercial Alert

Roadtrips has tickets available in select travel packages

The Beijing Summer Games may be the first Olympics to completely sell out at the ticket window, but travelers interested in attending these historic Games can still purchase deluxe packages featuring tickets to any sporting event through Roadtrips, an international sports and special event tour operator.

Over six million event tickets were available for the 2008 Summer Games and with just under two months until the Opening Ceremonies, most are completely sold-out. However, Roadtrips has a limited number of packages available featuring first class accommodations, daily breakfast, a Beijing city tour, event transfers, commemorative gift package, on-site hospitality desk, pre-travel concierge service and top category seating to travelers’ choice of any four events, starting at $5950, based on double occupancy.

“With over a half million people in Beijing for the Games, demand is extremely high for tickets as fans want to see the best athletes compete in some of the world’s finest venues,” said Dave Guenther, Roadtrips’ President. “We still have access to excellent seats for many gold medal events at the National Stadium or the Aquatics Center. Seeing these brand new facilities hosting top competitors is a major draw for many travelers.”

Roadtrips has five star accommodations at the Sheraton Great Wall and at Beijing’s newest luxury hotel, the Park Hyatt, which is opening just prior to the Games. Tickets for additional events can be added as desired, while other four and five star hotel options are also available. Trip extensions with private guide services are also available to Xian, Guilun, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong for equestrian events.

For more information on Beijing Summer Games travel packages, please call a Roadtrips Sports Travel expert at 1-800-465-1765 or visit Roadtrips.com.

Roadtrips, Inc. is celebrating their 17th year of providing amazing travel experiences to the most exciting sporting events in the world for fans, incentive programs, and corporate hospitality. A recognized leader in the sports travel industry, they take pride in delivering amazing sports travel experiences for thousands of guests every year.

Source: Roadtrips