BMW brings 'Joy' and passion to Olympics

Dr Christoph Stark (front left), president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, and Ma Jilong, director of the General Administration of Sport's equipment administrative center, sign the sponsorship agreement.



Ivan Koh (left), president of BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd, with Olympic and Asian Games gold medal winners Jiao Liuyang, Li Yuehong and Yang Xiuli.



Jack Pitney (left), vice-president of marketing for BMW North America, and Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno at a 2010 press conference in New York City announcing a six-year partnership with the US Olympic Committee.



BMW is the official auto partner of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As China continues to savor the successful 2008 Olympic Games and London prepares for its 2012 sports gala, premium automaker BMW has inked a six-year exclusive sponsorship deal with the Chinese Olympics Committee (COC).

The agreement was signed after yet another athletic extravaganza, the 16th Asian Games, which was held in Guangzhou last November.

BMW's premium cars and service will provide exclusive official transport to the COC and China's Olympic team during the 2012 London Games and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

It is the first long-term partnership for the COC with an auto manufacturer.

Dr Christoph Stark, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, noted at the signing ceremony for the sponsorship deal that "BMW has joined hands with Olympic sports in China not only because of our products and technology, but also for the resonance with our values and dreams - BMW is very happy to continue to integrate into the Chinese society through supporting China's Olympic efforts".

The agreement was also signed by Ma Jilong, director of the equipment administrative center for the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC).

Yang Shu'an, GASC vice-minister, witnessed the signing and praised the partnership as mutually beneficial.

The BMW brand has wide appeal in the sports world and is especially attractive to athletes.

After the 2008 Games, more than a third of Chinese Olympic champions chose BMW cars.

Also part of the sponsorship, BMW will organize a series of programs to raise awareness of the Olympic spirit over the next six years.

Challenges, innovation

The history of BMW is filled with overcoming challenges, pursuing perfection and continued innovation - all of which match the Olympic spirit.

During the Munich Games in 1972, BMW's first electric car, the BMW 1602, was used to lead the marathon and road walk events.

That year also saw the completion of BMW's landmark headquarters in Munich - the "Four-Cylinder Tower" - and launch of the first-generation BMW 5 Series.

BMW built its new US plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1992, after which BMW North America sponsored the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the US team.

The BMW Group has been the worldwide leader in the premium auto market since 2005 and began even deeper cooperation with the Olympics.

The BMW Group not only sponsors the Games, but also supports Olympic Committees in various countries.

Last year, BMW North America signed a six-year sponsorship agreement with the US Olympic Committee, becoming the first foreign auto sponsor in the organization's history.

BMW China's partnership with the COC is part of its growing commitment to the world's largest auto market and follows the launch of its "Joy" campaign worldwide in 2009.

Information from the company's marketing department notes that "the Olympics are a stage for passion and dreams, and the connection between the carmaker and the Olympic Games will create a new milestone for communicating the Joy of BMW".

Team in London

In 2009, Sir Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organizing Committee, announced that the BMW Group would be the automotive and sustainability partner of the London Games.

In the run-up to the Games, BMW is supporting everyday activities of Olympic committees and delegations from various countries.

According to the company, "the Olympics Games are a place for honor and passion - in 2012, BMW will welcome Team China and look forward to creating glory for China in London".

To meet the goal, BMW UK will provide more than 4,000 BMW and MINI cars.

All cars provided by BMW Group will be equipped with EfficientDynamics, the automaker's highly efficient and environmentally friendly technology. It will also supply electric MINI E models.

Since the 2008 Beijing Games, which advocated "Green Olympics", a low-carbon and healthy lifestyle has continued to be an Olympic Games commitment.

The company launched its EfficientDynamics strategy in 2002, and advanced energy-saving technologies are used in all production models. The company also implements sustainability throughout its production chain.

As a result, BMW achieved the highest reduction in carbon emissions of any automaker in Europe.

In 2010, it led the rankings as the industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the sixth consecutive year.

Fifty MINI E cars - the model to be used during the London Games - are currently undergoing road tests in China.