Marketing Report London 2012 - International Olympic Committee

100 Chapter Four / SPONSORSHIP
BA
British Airways was the official airline partner of the London 2012 Games, as well as the official airline
of Team GB.
The airline was involved in the journey to the Games since it successfully helped deliver the bid in
2004. Since then it helped British talent to take off, flying thousands of British athletes around the
world to train and compete.
In May 2012, the airline delivered the Olympic flame from Athens to RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall on
a flame-coloured aircraft named ‘Firefly’. The same aircraft was also used in a fly-past with the Red
Arrows to congratulate Team GB at the end of the Games, carrying the message ‘Thank You’.
In the run up to and during the Games, the airline’s ‘Home Advantage’ campaign encouraged the
public to stay at home and support Britain’s athletes. It generated more than 85,000 tweets using the
hashtag #HomeAdvantage.
As part of the campaign, the airline placed a giant image of Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis on
the flight-path to Heathrow with the words ‘Welcome to our turf’ as the first image incoming athletes
and visitors would see. During Games-time, British Airways also transported 2,250 athletes from over
28 countries.
For the first time at an Olympic Park, a viewing area was created for spectators to watch the live
action. Park Live presented by British Airways attracted more than 700,000 visitors who came to
cheer on the athletes, watch the action on giant LED screens and see athletes interviewed on the
BA Stage.