LONDON, England ● Omega, the official timekeeper of the London 2012 Olympic Games, has unveiled its global advertising campaign for the London Games, celebrating the brand’s rich Olympic history and the great moments in time that are at the heart of the Olympic movement.
The soundtrack for the ad is provided by no less than the Rolling Stones, who in this Olympic year are celebrating fifty years as one of London’s most iconic music makers. Their 1981 hit, “Start Me Up”, with its pulsating and instantly recognizable opening guitar riff has been remixed by star producer Don Was and provides the perfect soundscape for the world-class athletes.
The television commercial, produced in 15, 30 and 60-second versions, features Chinese diver Qiu Bo, U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin, British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos and U.S. pole vaulter Jenn Suhr – all Olympic hopefuls and Omega Brand Ambassadors – and focuses on the athletes’ routines and concentration in the pivotal minutes and seconds before competition, a moment in time for each athlete than can set the tone for his / her entire performance.
“The shooting schedule and locations for the spot were quite ambitious,” said Omega president Stephen Urquhart. “But the result is powerful and emotional and we are very happy with the result.” He added, “The Rolling Stones are the definitive London band and we are thrilled with this mix that breathes new life into a great song that the world has loved of thirty years.”
The commercial was filmed at five separate locations in South Florida. Ennis and Suhr filmed at Sun Life Stadium, the 75,000-seat home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins; local rowers from the Miami Rowing Club and an Olympic-hopeful archer shot at Key Biscayne’s Miami Marine Stadium; Qiu Bo took to the 10 meter platform at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex; Tyson Gay and his training partners from Pure Athletics in Orlando filmed at Miami’s Curtis Park; and Coughlin and Le Clos shot at Ransom Everglades School’s new aquatic complex.
“It was my first time in the United States and I didn’t want to go home,” said Le Clos of his experience at the shoot. “It was such a beautiful place to be, the school and the facilities were fantastic. Being on set is very new to me, but something I think I can get used to.”
The 2012 Olympic Games in London will have a special significance for Omega. Not only will the company assume the role of Official Timekeeper for the 25th time, it will also celebrate 80 years since it first served as Official Olympic Official Timekeeper at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games. And in 1948, the last time the games were contested in London, Omega was on hand to help usher in the birth of modern sports timekeeping.