Athens City Branding and the 2004 Olympic Games

Abstract

Winning an Olympic Games bid is largely regarded as a significant victory in the never-ending contest between the world’s leading cities for prestige and investment. In recent years the Games has turned into a mega event and serves as a platform for host cities and countries to tell a new story to the world about themselves. This chapter examines the case of Athens and the Olympics of 2004 and looks at the efforts of the Greek capital to capitalize on the opportunity of the Games, not only to improve its infrastructure but also to launch a new image of itself to the global audiences of the Games.