By Sheila Dang

(Reuters] – U.S. viewers could be forgiven for not remembering the date of the Olympic Winter Games 2022 opening ceremony, which took place in Beijing.

The nearly 20 international and national Olympic sponsors are laying low. This is unlike any Games that have occurred in recent times.

On Wednesday, there were only two spots, and both focus on athletes, without any mention of host countries. The United States has been at war on economic and diplomatic fronts with the country.

Reuters spoke to ad agency executives as well as advertisers over the Games. They said that the ads would continue to downplay and ignore the geography and any hint at politics in order to not draw attention to the geopolitical tension and hot gaze of the Chinese government.

Corporate sponsors and advertisers for the Beijing Olympics, which begin on Feb. 4 and run through Feb. 20, have come under fire for what human rights groups say is the enabling of China’s alleged abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the country. China refutes these allegations.

A bipartisan congressional panel questioned global Olympic sponsors in July. They accused them of prioritizing profits over accusations of genocide against China.

“The halo is tarnished,” said Mark DiMassimo, founder of New York-based ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein, which represents brands that are not official sponsors but plan to air commercials during the Olympics.

His clients had decided to remove from their marketing campaigns any mentions of Olympic traditional themes (friendly competition, global unity, good sportsmanship) shortly after Biden’s announcement of a diplomatic boycott at the Beijing Olympics.

Bridgestone Corp. is an official sponsor to the International Olympic Committee. This month, they aired an advertisement featuring Nathan Chen from America, an Asian American figure skater. Chen advocates authentic representation of skating no matter where or who you’re from.

Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:), Team USA’s official carrier, has aired two spots that highlight the achievements of skiers, figure skaters, and snowboarders.

A spokesperson for Allianz, the German financial services company said that a movie featuring athletes from winter will be made. A short film was made by Allianz last year about Matt Stutzman, a U.S. Paralympics athlete.

Reuters interviewed the sponsors of Team USA as well as global for their plans to market the Olympics. Two responded and one declined.

BIG DEPARTURE

This year’s response is a big departure from Olympics past, when advertisers crafted ads that embraced the spirit of the Games and honored the culture of the host country.

Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ) A commercial for Tokyo Olympics was shown last year. It featured Japanese citizens showing famous spots of Tokyo, such as Shibuya Crossing.

A Coca-Cola (NYSE:) Co ad for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics featured animated birds stealing straws from Coke drinks to build a replica of the famed Bird’s Nest stadium. That was back in 2008.

Jeremy Carey is the managing director at Optimum Sport, an ad agency of Omnicom Media Group. He said that the politics and pandemics have again prevented spectators from travelling to the Games. This will mean viewers can see fewer references to the host city.

“It’s a challenge, quite frankly,” he said. “The connection isn’t as prevalent as it would normally be.”

Experts agree that focusing on athletes on the international stage is the best strategy for brands.

“We’re trying to steer clear of the geopolitical implications around (the Olympics),” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE:). Chipotle will run ads during the Olympics promoting “real food for real athletes,” and feature the preferred orders of competitors like U.S. ice hockey player Hilary Knight.

DiMassimo stated that brands could be disassociated from the Beijing Olympics. “You just don’t know. You put (the commercial) on, and it might explode.”