JAPAN’S LARGEST AIRLINE All Nippon Airways (ANA) has become the latest corporate brand to offer support to the Tokyo bid for the hosting of the 2020 summer Olympic Games.
Tokyo-based ANA will co-operate with the five existing partners of the Japanese bid to provide the necessary funding and marketing platforms over the coming year, before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announces the winning candidate city in Buenos Aires in September 2013.
The company is an existing sponsor of the Japanese Olympic Committee in the secondary ‘official partner’ tier as well as a sponsor of various Japanese athletes.
ANA’s sponsorship comes soon after sports apparel brand Mizuno ended its association to the IOC as an official supplier, in order to offer its support to the Tokyo 2020 bidding committee and follows a raft of Japanese brands signing up to the cause.
As well as ANA and Mizuno, the other partners of the Tokyo bid are ASICS, Descente, JTB and Kinki Nippon Tourist Company.
The show of patriotism from Japan’s corporate sector is perhaps indicative of the commercial support a Tokyo-hosted Games might receive.
Further, it is an encouraging sign for the IOC who will surely judge the ability of a local organising committee to raise ample sponsorship revenue in its decision-making process.
The London 2012 organising committee attracted over £700 million in sponsorship revenue while Rio 2016 is on course to storm over the £1 billion mark.
By Luke Harman
Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukeharmanSBG