Olympics sponsor GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has launched its first UK advertising campaign to promote the role that anti-doping science will play in making the London Olympics the fairest possible.
The campaign launches on the same day as the official London 2012 anti-doping laboratory, which is being provided by GSK in partnership with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Locog) and King’s College London.
The lab, based at GSK’s Harlow, Essex, site, becomes operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week from today (16 July). More than 150 scientists, led by Professor David Cowan from the Drug Control Centre at King’s College, will carry out more tests (up to 6,250 samples) than at any other Games. Every medallist and up to 50% of all competing athletes will be tested.
The advertising campaign will feature British Olympic medal hopefuls Phillips Idowu, Beth Tweddle, David Weir, Graham Edmunds and Marlon Devonish and will appear on TV from today and outdoor advertising space across the UK from 23 July.
Phil Thompson, senior vice president, Global Communications at GlaxoSmithKline, said: ‘Our contribution to the London 2012 Games, through our partnership with Locog and King’s, is to help ensure that every medal winner can celebrate their athletic achievement in the knowledge they have won through a fair competition. Our advertising campaign aims to showcase the hard work, determination and natural ability that is central to each athlete’s performance.’
Edmunds, Paralympic gold medallist, whose image appears on the side of GSK’s headquarters, said: ‘I’m confident that everything possible is being done to catch drug cheats at London 2012 and that makes these Games really special.’
