Sport Industry Group

Dow Chemical removes Olympic wrap branding- 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00

Dow Chemical has agreed to remove its branding from the wrap around the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford, after coming under fire from the Indian government over its sponsorship of the Games.

Dow, one of 11 worldwide Olympic partners, has been under pressure because it bought US chemical firm Union Carbide, whose Bhopal plant in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh leaked toxic gases in 1984 - killing thousands of people in the world's worst industrial accident.

Following the Bhopal disaster, Union Carbide settled its liabilities with the Indian Government in 1989 by handing over $470m (£310m) for Bhopal victims.

Though Dow bought Union Carbide ten years after the compensation deal, its Olympic sponsorship has still angered some.

The logo will now be removed from the wrap, with officials suggesting the agreement was agreed in the summer to 'allow free and full execution of the design'.

Dow spokesman Scott Wheeler, told insidethegames: ‘The agreement between Dow and London 2012 was limited to branding of five 'test panels' that were to be removed in the months before the Games and were not part of the final design.’

‘In mid-summer, London 2012 and Dow discussed Dow deferring the rights to these five panels to allow free and full execution of the design as determined by London 2012.’

‘Dow agreed to this to support London 2012 and their vision for the stadium wrap.’