Advertisers sidelined in 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images News

The Beijing Winter Olympics officially kick off today, but you wouldn't know that from the latest slate of advertising campaigns. Many companies are facing pressure to acknowledge China's abuses of its minority Uyghur population in Xinjiang, along with other human rights issues and authoritarian control. Top American sponsors like Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) and Visa (NYSE:V) are lying low in their Olympic-themed commercials, and there hasn't been many displayed on TV or social media in the U.S.
Bigger picture: It's a tough environment to navigate with their consumers and corporations are likely to get far less on their investment return in this situation. In fact, those who are advertising have largely steered clear of mentioning the location of the Games or any hint of politics. An example from Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) saw the "official airline of Team USA" release a commercial spotlighting skiers, snowboarders and figure skaters, but no where is "Beijing" or even a reference to the "Olympics" mentioned in the clip.
While American athletes are free to compete, the U.S. government is boycotting the 2022 Winter Olympics, meaning diplomatic personnel will be barred from the event. No major representatives from U.S.-aligned democratic nations will be present either (though France is sending its sports minister). In fact, Russia's Vladimir Putin will be among those greeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping today and attending the opening ceremony.
Bottom line: "This is going to be the new-era Olympics, more triumphalist in design and tone," said Christopher Johnson, president of risk consultancy China Strategies Group in Washington. China's message is, "We're here, get used to it."