Omega yesterday unveiled its global ad campaign for the London Games. The effort will include 15-, 30- and 60-second television ads featuring Chinese diver Qiu Bo, U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin, U.K. heptathlete Jessica Ennis, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos and U.S. pole vaulter Jenn Suhr. The Rolling Stones' song "Start Me Up" will be the soundtrack for the ads. The commercials were filmed at five separate locations in South Florida, including Sun Life Stadium (Omega). USA TODAY’s Bruce Horovitz notes while the Rolling Stones “don’t physically appear in the spot -- only their voices do -- the commercial casts them as singing symbols of this year’s Olympic home team.” Each of the athletes is “shown concentrating one moment before their competition begins.” The spot will begin airing Friday in the U.S. market. Omega President Stephen Urquhart said that the company “will spend more on the filming and airing of this commercial than any other ad it’s ever created.” He estimates the cost is “in the eight figures.” Meanwhile, Horovitz notes music is also “the central theme of Coca-Cola’s new Olympic campaign, dubbed ‘Move to the Beat,’” which will begin airing in late July in the U.S. (USA TODAY, 5/30).
HEADING TO THE BEACH: MARKETING magazine’s Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith notes Coca-Cola’s glaceau vitaminwater brand is “using its Twitter account to give away Olympic beach volleyball tickets and boost awareness of its status as ‘best mate’ of the London 2012 Games.” To get a chance at the tickets “people just need to send a tweet to the brand’s Twitter account.” Runners-up will “receive ticket prizes and event hospitality packages.” All prizes “will be distributed through” the @vitaminwater_UK handle (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.co.uk, 5/30).
