Big In Print
Olympics 2008
Beijing Games Reveal Internet's Limitations
When the Olympics began nearly three weeks ago, I wondered whether the internet had doomed television coverage of the Olympics. Today, I have the answer: Hell, no. The games proved that when it comes to live events, the internet has a long way to go.
No More Clean Air and No More CNN
As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games come to an end, I can't help but feel a bit emotional. I will truly miss these games, and I'm not just talking about the sports event. I will miss the way this city looked and behaved over these past two weeks.
The Underdog Comes Out On Top
Bravo! China's Olympians performed brilliantly. I traveled a bit last week outside of Beijing, and no matter where I went (Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai) there always seemed to be a television screen with a smiling Chinese athlete leaning over to accept a gold medal. People have been glued to the screens around the country, and lustily cheered on their athletes.
An Olympic Village...or a Potemkin Village?
Today they will lock down the Olympic Green, which won't open again until September when the Paralympic Games begin. Now that things have begun to quiet down, I've had a chance to reflect on the challenges of handling PR during the games and at how well China has challenged its own PR during the past month.
Sponsors Turn Beijing Into a Party Town
The Olympic Games have brought more than fancy new sports venues to Beijing. They have also introduced some great party venues. Bars and clubs all over town are hopping with international celebrities and super-athletes, often hosted by sponsors. Adidas, for example, kicked off the Olympics with a "Black and Gold" party attended by sports legends Maurice Green and Ian Thorpe.
Olympic Beach Babes
Watching beach volleyball on a bright sunny day in Beijing you could almost think you had been transported to Rio or Sydney's Bondi beach. This was especially true when Beijing's own bikini-clad cheerleaders came out to play and gave an otherwise serious sporting event a carnival atmosphere.
Liu's Future: Comeback Kid or Fading Star?
Liu Xiang's shocking decision to pull out of the qualifying heat for 110-meter hurdles event was big news. It changed the mood of the games in China and put Liu's future as a commercial spokesman in jeopardy.
The King Is Out. Long Live the King.
In a devastating turn of events for China, one of the mainland's biggest sports celebrities pulled out of the Olympic Games today. Liu Xiang was unable to compete in a qualifying heat for the men's 110-meter hurdles because of an injury to his right foot. Liu may not be a household name in the U.S. or Europe, but inside China, he is a star.
Selling Phelps: Not in China
Since Michael Phelps scored the sixth of his eventual eight gold medals here at the Beijing Games, I have heard several people -- all very experienced marketers, and all non-Chinese -- suggest that Michael Phelps has a golden career ahead of him here in China doing product endorsements. They're wrong.
Beijing's United Nations
I've had quite a few fascinating experiences over the last few days at the games through people-watching around Beijing, hanging out at the Olympic Green and spending time with the athletes in their temporary home, the Olympic Village.
Sport Nation
The talk around the office for the past week has been all about sports. People are recounting games, calculating stats and even talking smack. With the Olympic Games happening at venues all over Beijing, this isn't surprising, but it certainly is new. In the past, sports were rarely brought up around the proverbial office water cooler.
Li Ning's Spanish Inquisition
Li Ning has been almost unanimously crowned the king of the Olympic ambush marketers, but in one case, the Chinese sportswear company's efforts appear to have publicly backfired. The Chinese sportswear company created a promotional photo of the Spanish Olympic basketball team, with the players all posed, in uniforms sponsored by Li Ning, with their eyes narrowed in a caricature of Chinese facial characteristics.
Beijing's Biggest Fake
The words "China" and "fake" are inextricably linked. The problem has been out of the headlines for a while but they're back with a vengeance following recent events at the opening ceremony.
Olympic Sponsorship: Hit or Myth?
Now that the five-ring circus has started, the knives are out on all the sponsors. If it's not because they are supporting Darfur or an anti-Tibet sentiment, it must be because they have put a poor value on their sponsorship. And every new TV spot from them will likely have someone calling them the "next Leni Riefenstahl of the 21st century."
Checking Out the Corporate Check-Writers
It's no secret that the Olympic Games rely heavily on corporate sponsorship. It was true in Athens and it certainly is true in Beijing. Sponsors have an extremely high-profile position on the Olympic Green, and some of them are doing some pretty interesting things.
The Golden Rice Bowl
For all athletes competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing, the experience and honor that comes from representing their country on this international stage will last a lifetime. They will become heroes at home and perhaps worldwide. For some athletes, particularly the photogenic ones, the recognition will turn into something more -- celebrity.
Horses, Fuwas, Protests and Bagpipes
Attending an Olympic team dressage equestrian event in Hong Kong over the weekend was an instructive and at times, humorous experience. The event beautifully illustrated both the political differences between this city and its "parent," the People's Republic of China, and the cultural similarities between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese citizens.
Beijing Hot Pot
Visitors to the Olympic Green in Beijing are finding hot weather, large distances between venues, very little shade and limited food options. Poor planning has turned the space into an Olympic-size endurance test.
An Olympic State of Mind
Working on an Olympic project changes you. It changes the way you think, the vocabulary you use, the way you respond to situations of all kinds. After spending many months preparing for the games and then actually working on the ground on-site, you find you are a different person.
Let the Ambush Games Begin
Now that the Olympics are under way in Beijing, local organizers are turning a blind eye to guerrilla tactics and ambush marketing.
