Aoki created official attire, sold suits for Tokyo Games

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:00 JST, July 28, 2022

In addition to selling suits with the Olympic emblem, Aoki Holdings Inc., a major apparel company, was involved in several other projects during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, including the creation of official attire for the Japanese national team.

Olympic sponsors are divided into four ranks according to the level of sponsorship and other factors. The highest-ranking are Worldwide Olympic Partners that have contracts with the International Olympic Committee, followed by domestic sponsors that have contracts with the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee. Domestic sponsors are, ranked from the top, Gold Partners, Official Partners, and Official Supporters, which included Aoki.

Sponsors can use the Olympic logo and emblem, as well as advertise and promote themselves at Games venues.

When Aoki became an Official Supporter in the business and formal wear category in October 2018, it was given priority for fabrication projects ordered by the organizing committee and was involved in the fabrication of uniforms worn by referees and others.

The sale of official products requires a license agreement with the organizing committee. The products must first pass a screening committee made up of senior officials of the organizing committee, but the marketing department, to which many employees of major advertising agency Dentsu Inc. were temporarily transferred, was in charge of practical tasks in the screening process.

From the summer of 2019 onward, Aoki sold a total of approximately 30,000 suits and jackets with the Olympic emblem to the general public after obtaining licensing contracts for the items.

Aoki was also in charge of creating official attire for the Japanese delegation to wear at the opening ceremony and other events. Aoki was selected by the official clothing selection committee established by the Japanese Olympic Committee after a public competition for the official attire.