Heineken chosen as Official Lager Supplier of London Olympics 2012
Dutch brewer Heineken has beaten London’s only remaining family brewer Fuller’s Brewery to become the Official Lager Supplier of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in a tier three sponsorship deal announced on 3 February 2011. Fuller’s, the west London-based brewery, best known as the makers of the iconic beer London Pride, is said to be “disappointed” that the 2012 organisers have opted not to use a traditional British brewery as an official sponsor and instead go for a bigger international company. But, come on, what planet does Fuller’s live on? Compared to Heineken it does not exist.
The deal continues Heineken’s substantial involvement in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was reported that the Dutch brewer spent GBP 34 million (USD 54 million) on sponsoring the Athens Olympics in 2004.
It was announced at the end of last year that the famous Alexandra Palace, built in the 19th century as a public entertainment centre, had been chosen by the Dutch Olympic Committee to be the location for “Heineken House” during London 2012.
Alexandra Palace, located in North London, will be turned into a giant beer hall open to the public and will act as a hospitality centre for athletes, officials and VIP officials.
As part of the sponsorship deal, the company’s flagship brand, Heineken, will be served at the Games and Heineken UK will have exclusive pouring rights for its portfolio of beer and cider brands at all Olympic venues where alcohol is served.
The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games have seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters - Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. Plus there are now 21 domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers, Heineken among them.
The Worldwide Olympic Partners signed up for London 2012 are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
Heineken UK is an operating company of Heineken NV, Europe’s biggest brewer. Heineken UK employs around 2,500 people across a number of locations in the country.
