The real coup by BMW wasn't as much as having designed the bobsled, but rather getting NBC to endlessly hype the German automaker's participation -- as if it was BMW, and not the athletes, that were key to success. NBC repeatedly cut to segments during the competition in which athletes explained BMW's participation, showing a sled with a BMW logo.
At one point, a prime-time commentator referred to an American team's bobsled as the "ultimate sliding machine." BMW ran ads on NBC repeatedly during the primetime bobsled competition underscoring its participation.
BMW's bigger victory was in trying to coaxing Olympics viewers into seeing it, a foreign brand ,as American, as supporting an American cause. BMW is a German automaker, although it makes many of its vehicles in the U.S. -- South Carolina, to be specific.
"Being part of this historic U.S. bobsledding milestone has truly been an honor," said Michael Scully, creative director of BMW Group 's DesignworksUSA, which has a big facility in California. "To see both the U.S. men's and women's teams on the Olympic podium with three medals is both a career and personal highlight, and I'm extremely proud of the athletes' achievements."
The medal take: two bronzes and a silver.
At the polar extreme of the Winter Olympics universe, athletic wear maker Under Armour saw its Olympic dreams shrivel after speed skaters initially blamed their speed suits for poor performance.
While it hopeed to get the same residual glow from the games, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank found himself having to defend the company and talk about rebuilding the company's image.
"It was a bit of a witch hunt that began to build," Plank told USA TODAY's Bruce Horvitz. When U.S. speed skaters were failing to earn gold medals, their apparel became a scapegoat. "The suit became the witch."
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