136IOC Marketing Report – Beijing 2008 Chapter NineThe Best of Us In 2007, the IOC launched a compelling campaign to promote the Olympic brand and communicate the core Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect to young people around the world. Entitled " The Best of Us", this multi- faceted campaign uses the simple notion that sport can bring out the best in people to convey a powerful message about the Olympic values that transcends borders and cultures, capturing the imaginations of young people and inspiring them to take part in sport. By using a unique combination of activations, including traditional media and innovative, Internet- based communications, The Best of Us campaign enhances and contemporises the key values of the Olympic brand, increasing their relevance to young people. Campaign Executions Public Service Announcements The launch of a public service announcement, entitled " Teens", formed the first part of the campaign. Featuring young people from a variety of countries speaking their native languages, the film shows how they each use sport as a positive force in overcoming their insecurities, demonstrating that being an athlete can play an important role in boosting young people's confidence. A second public service announcement, entitled " Heroes", used legendary Olympic athletes including Roger Federer, Yao Ming, Laure Manaudou, Liu Xiang, Yelena Isinbayeva, Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, Vanessa Ferrari and Carolina Kluft to show how their determination to succeed " You all make us proud to be human beings, regardless of race, religion or nationality, because if you are able to achieve such greatness, nothing is unreachable. Go... and amaze us!" Excerpt from the IOC's " Heroes" Public Service Announcement IOC Marketing Report – Beijing 2008137 The Best of UsChapter Nine demonstrates the core Olympic values. The athletes star as " superheroes", trying to achieve the seemingly impossible, which reflects their own lives as they strive for excellence in their chosen sports. Both the " Teens" and " Heroes" spots were made available to broadcasters around the world and were also shown to thousands of fans in Beijing during the Games on the giant screens inside the Olympic stadiums and venues, as well as being shown on giant Panasonic ASTROVISIONscreens in New York's Times Square and in various locations around Japan. " This film will mean a lot to the youth of the world because there are so many sporting icons involved. It will be a great motivational tool and help get across the Olympic values." Frank Fredericks, Chairman, IOC Athletes' Commission |