Olympic PR highs and lows

Posted on 30/07/2012

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The London Olympics are less than a week old and there’s already been no-end of PR stunts, mishaps and misunderstandings. Here are the five most notable so far…

Worst crisis comms excuse: Trying downplay the loss of keys was pretty cringeworthy crisis comms by the Met Police. But LOCOG blaming spectators using mobile phones for their failure to provide cycling split-times to broadcasters takes the biscuit – they surely should have planned for this.

Biggest underestimate: Researchers reckon 26.9m Brits watched the Opening Ceremony. But does this include the numbers watching in pubs, parks and community centres around the UK?

Most extreme Daily Mail article: Jan Moir branding the woman who won the cycling road race as “some bitch from Holland.”

Best guerilla campaign: Should have gone to Specsavers? Organisers from Hampden clearly need to.

Idiot of the Opening Ceremony: As Trevor Nelson trended on Twitter for his awful commentary interventions, he was almost a shoe in for this award. Until Tory MP Aidan Burley waded in with the tact and subtlety of a politician who likes to dress up as a Nazi. Even his party leader branded him an idiot.

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