GlaxoSmithKline London 2012 Partner Unveil New Sign in London

GlaxoSmithKline has begun advertising its role as a partner of London 2012 by unveiling its new sign at its headquarters in the capital.

Featuring the official London 2012 logos and the strapline “Bringing Science to the Games,” the sign that was launched by Olympic cycling champion Rebecca Romero plays up Glaxo’s commitment to keeping the events drug free.

Glaxo, a Tier Three sponsor, is the first sponsor in the history of the Games to be given the category as “official laboratory services”.

The sign, which is 41 metres wide, sits on the side of Glaxo’s building next to the M4 and A4 in Brentford, and will welcome millions of people to London as they travel into the capital from Heathrow and the West of England.

More than 78,000 people will see the sign every day from their cars as they drive in and out of London and up to 26 million in the year leading up to the Games, Glaxo claim.

Andrew Witty, Glaxo’s chief executive said: “We are immensely proud to be a partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and want to celebrate the role we will play in bringing science to the Games. The sign is the perfect way of doing this as millions of people will see it in the lead up to the Games and during Games time itself. 

“As the UK’s largest pharmaceutical company, we will bring our expertise to running a world class laboratory that will carry out more anti-doping tests than ever before at an Olympics, making London 2012 the cleanest possible Games.”

Glaxo and King’s College London will operate a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited lab during the Olympics and Paralympics

Over the course of the Games, the lab will oversee 6,250 drug tests – the most ever at an Olympic and Paralympic Games, Glaxo claim.

Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012, said: “Science will play a crucial part in the London 2012 Games, from the training and nutrition programmes which keep the athletes at peak performance to the anti-doping tests which will help to make the Games as clean as possible.

“It is great to have GlaxoSmithKline on board to deliver the anti-doping test laboratory and the sign launched today is a celebration of their commitment to help make London 2012 the cleanest Games possible.”