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Going against all tradition and cliche, the BBC have created one hell of a Winter Olympics promo. No blue ice, no slow motion athletes, and no gold medals.
It’s the Persepolis of Winter Olympics promos and I love it.
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Having covered the Sydney and Beijing games already, it seems only fair to fill in the blank that is Athens 2004. These two videos, produced for the Seven Network and the Athens Olympic Broadcasting organisation respectively, prove that the timeless formula of “athletes + cultural imagery = Olympic opener” will apparently never go out of fashion.
- Another big thanks to Christian for the videos.
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These two opening titles for the Sydney 2000 games (aka “the best Olympics games ever“) show just how little creative progress has been made in the field of Olympic television branding. And while they’re not bad, you have to wonder how many more Olympics broadcasts are going to open with video of a guy jumping up and kicking a soccer ball before somebody thinks up a new idea.
The first video is from the Seven network, the Australian broadcaster of the 2000 games, and the second video is the “official” opening sequence, produced by the Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation for international telecasts.
- Huge thanks to Alex and Christian for the videos.
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Germany’s ZDF (aka Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) combines the Chinese landscape with Olympic athleticism, along with the obligatory cultural reference in the form of a flying dragon for this slick branding of their Games coverage.
- Big thanks to Ulrich for the video.
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Olympics broadcast branding has been a bucket full of cliches so far. And while the BBC’s incredibly unique take on the Games has been a much needed dose of fresh air, Norway’s national broadcaster NRK have delivered a nice spin on the usual slow motion althetes imagery with this Heroes-meets-300 inspired spot.
- Thanks to Hans for the video.
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UPDATE: Added the “making of” video above.
Designed by BDA Singapore, this is the “official opening title sequence to the Beijing Olympic Games 2008″. Official because its the sequence used by Beijing Olympic Broadcasting, the host broadcaster of the games set up to provide television signals of the games to the rest of the world.
The video is a combination of live action and 3D animation, and is based around the “Chinese elements of nature – metal, wood, water, fire & earth”.
Read more about the spot here and here, and thanks to Nick for the video.
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The Opening Ceremony may still be a day away, but the first event is about to start in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, which means coverage has begun, and the full Olympic look of Australia’s Seven Network is being rolled out.
The BBC have taken a very unique approach to their Olympics branding, as you’ll see above Seven have stuck with the traditional “gold-infused slow-motion footage of athletes” imagery that seems to be the norm, albeit executed in a very slick fashion.
More Olympics coverage to come throughout the Games.
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Here’s a challenge for you: condense a 400-year-old, 100 chapter Chinese novel into a two minute animated trailer for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
Actually, don’t worry, the BBC have already done it…
That’s right, they’ve abandoned the traditional “gold-infused slow-motion footage of athletes” Olympics imagery in favour of something a bit more creative.
Animated by Gorillaz creator Jamie Hewlett with music by Damon Albarn, this video of Monkey and his friends made its debut last night in the UK at 7:27pm with a simulcast across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four and BBC News, and will form the centrepiece of the BBC’s Olympic coverage branding.
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