Reuters reports Japan’s Dentsu lobbied for and funded Tokyo Olympics campaign

In an insightful report, Reuters revealed how Dentsu Group Inc donated more than $6 million to Tokyo’s successful campaign to host the 2020 Olympics, according to bank records, and lobbied members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on behalf of the city. The activities created a potential conflict of interest for the Japanese advertising company, which had a separate contract with the IOC to market the games. Article 10 of the IOC’s rules of conduct for cities vying to host the games states that its top tier of advertisers and marketing partners “shall refrain from supporting or promoting any of the cities” in order to “preserve the integrity and neutrality” of the bidding process.