If President Barack Obama couldn’t bring the Olympics to Chicago, you can’t blame the PR firm too much. Nonetheless, Hill & Knowlton, who represented the Chicago Olympic Bid Committee, is understandably disappointed that the city lost out to Rio De Janeiro today. “Everyone’s pretty shocked about Chicago being out of 2016 but retaining a huge sense of pride about getting our client there at all,” said Niall Cook, Worldwide Director of Marketing Technology.

Lori Robinson, Director of Marketing and Business Development, told PRNewser that Hill & Knowlton has been involved with the committee, “for a couple years now” starting when they did the initial bid for the U.S. and then up to the IOC. “The Chicago bid has helped re-shape Chicago’s image globally and helped put them back on the international map,” Robinson said, while admitting that she was trying to try to look at the positive in the situation.

Hill & Knowlton’s contract is reported to be more than $3 million. Ogilvy also received more than $500k to handle “technology and new media.”