Brands seek Rio gold in new advertising playing field

Wrestler Helen Maroulis poses for a portrait at the U.S. Olympic Committee Media Summit in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California in this March 9, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Files

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dozens of major companies and specialty brands that are not official Olympics sponsors have applied to run advertising campaigns featuring athletes ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, taking advantage of new rules that are shaking up the business of marketing surrounding the event.

U.S. multinationals including Mondelez International Inc , General Mills , Under Armour , Adidas AG and Gatorade, a unit of PepsiCo Inc , told Reuters they have applied to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), seeking a waiver that will allow them to compete with official Games sponsors during the Olympics in August and the Paralympics in September.