Among the many companies sponsoring this year’s Summer Olympic Games in London is BP, which is trying to use the event to further distance itself from the Gulf oil spill. And, in the process, proving that a company in a crisis just might throw anything out there in the hopes of cutting free from an atrocious reputation that’s sticking like a barnacle to the bottom of a ship.

But it’s hard to shake the Gulf spill when you hear stories about the devastating mutations in marine life, the ongoing legal battles, and see pictures like the one above, one of many just recently released by Greenpeace. (More here.)

Turns out, BP wasn’t the only energy company that thought an Olympic sponsorship would be a good corporate reputation tune-up. But what these companies could be doing is bringing down the Games rather than improving their images.

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This tear-jerker is part of Proctor & Gamble’s “Thank you, Mom by P&G” push for the 2012 London Olympics. Launching 100 days before the Games, the clip, called “Best Job,” is available on a Facebook page dedicated entirely to the campaign. In addition to the video, there’s a scrolling page containing “Thank you, Mom” messages from visitors, an app, and a website dedicated to the campaign. The company is also raising $5 million for youth sports groups around the world and is donating more than $50,000 to KidSport Canada.

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