The Olympic Brand

Let's not even pretend to think any other way about it: the London 2012 Olympics were a massive success.

To have been in London during that time was remarkable, where an atmosphere of positivity, a buzz of energy and an arm of friendliness seemed always at hand.  All of the pre-game fears of transport chaos and terrorist attacks thankfully did not come to pass, and the same could even be said for the (now necessary) corporate sponsorships.  There were many, they were plentiful, but they weren't as in your face as expected.

The Games even avoided any mass guerilla marketing attacks that had plagued the 2010 World Cup.  Perhaps there's more soul to the Olympics as compared to the money-saturated 'Beautiful Game' we know and love?!

Nike have certainly had a good go at undermining Adidas' stranglehold however, clawing back some attention to their brand using some very hastily put together OOH ads featuring Paula Radcliff and (an implied) Mo Farrah.  The speed was impressive.

But if you're a major sponsor of The Games you're not going to take this lying down, and Adidas responded with this magnificent video that sees Team GB stars and medalists including Sir Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton and Louis Smith lip-syncing to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'. 

Checkmate, I think. #stagetaken

The Big Show

Olympic fever is fully upon us here in London. You couldn't miss it if you tried, and why would you want to. It is there on every street, in every shop and it's buzzing in the air.

It's there in every sound too, crackling in conversations, in transport announcements and in music.  The music of the Olympics brings with it pomp and fanfare, national anthems played for every podium and sung boisterously by the supporting masses. In these modern times we have bands such as Elbow and Muse writing new tracks purely for the Games, and let us not forget also the obligatory slow-mo BBC montages set to mood defining music to help the audience deal with every victory and defeat.

Even the athletes and competitors play their part.  Arriving for a race, multiple medal winner Michael Phelps looks more like a regular from a hip-hop video with his hoodie pulled up and his Dr Dre Beats headphones than he does a champion swimmer.

It's for the opening ceremony however that I think these Olympic Games will be remembered for the music.  Danny Boyle's incredibly well-designed and orchestrated vision of Britain had, amongst all the historical references and theatre, an intertwining of musical forms that highlighted just how prevalent and important music has been within the development of British life.

The highlight of this, for me, was the inclusion of David Bowie's 'Heroes' as the Team GB competitors entered the stadium to a tumultuous roar from the home fans.  To have watched that moment was to feel hope and pride.  To have experienced it as a competitor would no doubt be indescribable.  I'd expect the song and the moment to live long in the memories for our Olympians, as it will for the millions of us cheering from the stands and from our sofas.