It only takes the first "Ba dada da da dum" of the staccato horns sounding the famous Olympic theme song and you'll find me giddy and glued to the tevee at all hours of the day for the two weeks it takes to cover the athletic festivities. Superbowl, world cup, world series - I could care less. But the Olympics - how grand! There's something good about the world coming together peacefully if only to kick each other's butt in sport. I'm especially fond of everything skating (speed and figure) but also looking forward to the crazy stunt skiing and some hard core half pipe.
Besides the amazing skills these fearless people execute, it's their individual stories that are so fascinating. There's always the tale of poor single parents who've driven their kids 200 miles twice a week for fifteen years to attend practice. But then take the Indian luger Shiva Keshavan's story, for instance. He arrived without a suit and his sled was held together with tape. On Friday, there was the story of the death of the Georgian luger, which broke everyone's heart.
Besides the skills of the athletes, every two years, designers and artistic directors choreograph amazing opening ceremonies and graphics the entire world sees. While controversy is always present at the Olympics, the branding for this year is one of the best. I love the movement and the colors of what the Pacific Northwest is about, all greens and blues, pattern on pattern, yet not too busy. The imagery of the athletes is a little too much like stock illustration, but it's hard to please everyone. Overall, it's a great job.
I also love their use of the Inukshuk, totems and the native symbols which make the Pacific Northwest so unique.
One of the best Olympic brands, the 1972 Munich Olympics (which also hold a terrible story).
