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With little over two weeks to go until Danny Boyle turns a part of Stratford into a farm, the British public are struggling to avoid anything to do with the Olympics. Everywhere you turn is another reminder that the greatest show on Earth will be in London from the 27th July. And its only going to get worse, with BBC One and BBC Three almost only showing the Games for the two week period. As a sports fanatic, I'm not really fussed by most of this. For me, it's great to be swept up by all the trappings of a once-in-a-lifetime event, an Olympic Games on my doorstep. I enjoy reading articles in the papers of medal hopes and watching TV shows that are related to the Games; it's interesting to understand everything that goes into the Olympics. The one thing that does annoy me, though, is how companies are using the Games as a corporate vehicle.

The likes of Coca-Cola, McDonalds and P&G have spent well into the billions to sponsor the most watched sporting event. In return, the IOC has allowed them to use the Olympics as part of their advertising campaigns. You can't go one single ad break now without London 2012 being mentioned.  It makes the Games seem like some corporate vehicle, helping companies profit from being associated with something huge. Coca-Cola and McDonalds, for example, enjoy suggesting that you can lead a healthy lifestyle with their products, and generally include the Games in this when they come around. We all know how unhealthy McDonalds can be. After all, a Big Mac would be legally classed as a dessert due to the sugar content if it weren't for the gherkins. But these companies are by far not the worse offenders in my books - at least they actually paid for the right to use them.

Walking through the shopping centre in the Olympic Park the other day, it was ridiculous to see so many companies that hadn't paid for sponsorship using the Olympics in a non-explicit manner. Subway, for example, have leaflets featuring four Olympians and their favourite 'sub'. Nowehere on the leaflet are the Olympics mentioned, but anyone with common sense would swiftly realise that Subway are trying profit from public support for the Games. Boots also had posters of Jo Jackson and Hannah Miley, both of whom are Olympic swimmers, in their shop window. Again, no mention of the Games but its not hard to see what they are doing. The use of the Olympics by these companies is completely devaluing the history of the Games. A once great sporting event slowly being turned into a money-spinner by large companies. I wouldn't be too surprised if in the future events themselves are actually sponsored. I can't wait to see the final of the Coca-Cola 100 metres...sigh.