ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that the promises made, that the legacy of London 2012 would bring social and economic benefits to the deprived population of east London and greater participation in sport by the population of Britain. Mega spectacles such as the Olympics have immense economic power. As such, they provide an unparalleled opportunity for the commercialisation of products and for the dissemination of brands. The commercial power of the Olympic brand is due to firms wishing to harness the extraordinary mythic quality of the Olympics to their own brand image by association. Sponsorship of the Olympics, which keeps competitors at bay, is one of the main ways of achieving this. The chapter explains that the unique effectiveness of the Olympic Games as a commercial vehicle relies on their mythic power. This enables the Games to capture people's imagination by creating a vision of a utopian world, free from conflicts, in which everyone is able to succeed through their own efforts.
