63 replies to this topic

[Durban Sandshark]

When I first became a member on these boards almost four years, I noticed over the years there really hasn't been any discussion of your favorite Olympic TV commercials (or promos outside of Ceremonies on YouTube). Let's start that now with Beijing 2008 coming up!

You can bring it up descriptions of your commercials from around the world from years gone by. By this, I'm referring usually to ones that have an Olympic theme or from Olympic sponsors in them. I'll think of mine as we go along. If there's YouTube-able, we'll link 'em!

[BTHarner]

My favorite was the Bank of America ads run in 2002 showing employees performing winter Olympic disciplines, I really liked the speed skater who went straight into the wall and over.

My least favorite, also from 2002, were the Chevrolet ads with the two guys, among other stunts, trying to get Michelle Kwan to end her routine in a way that the Chevy logo gets noticed behind her. i wonder if that inspired that idiot with his Golden Palace ads at venues and then disrupting the closing ceremony at Torino.

[Scotguy]

Because the BBC show the Olympic Games here, we dont really have many Olympic commercials, probably just McDonalds doing a promotion. Maybe if you go back abit to the eighties when commercial tv covered the games aswell as the BBC there might be some.

[Durban Sandshark]

BTHarner, on Jan 23 2008, 09:37 PM, said:

My favorite was the Bank of America ads run in 2002 showing employees performing winter Olympic disciplines, I really liked the speed skater who went straight into the wall and over.

My least favorite, also from 2002, were the Chevrolet ads with the two guys, among other stunts, trying to get Michelle Kwan to end her routine in a way that the Chevy logo gets noticed behind her. i wonder if that inspired that idiot with his Golden Palace ads at venues and then disrupting the closing ceremony at Torino.

I liked that one too out of the Bank of America 2002 series. For all of the Olympic aspirations that may had once held in their youth, this obviously show that they should just keep to their day jobs.

Those Chevrolet guys were annoying. Always wanting product placement for their company. Michelle had one shot of her looking at them turning her head thinking I don't wanna do this for them but relents. It looked like Kwan was going to do The Chomp when presenting the logo.

[Durban Sandshark]

Scotguy21, on Jan 23 2008, 09:55 PM, said:

Because the BBC show the Olympic Games here, we dont really have many Olympic commercials, probably just McDonalds doing a promotion. Maybe if you go back abit to the eighties when commercial tv covered the games aswell as the BBC there might be some.

It doesn't have to have aired on the BBC (or any Olympic TV network rights holder) to qualify for it.

[Rols O'Bertilsson]

I was trying to find one of the Aussie "funnies" _ the Smiths Crisps ad during Athens with the workers sitting on building equipment in the unfinished stadium eating chips as a track event starts around them _ but I couldn't find it on YouTube any more.

[Durban Sandshark]

Found it for ya, Sir Roltel!

Smith's Potato Crisps (Chips) 2004 TV Commercial pokes fun at the Athens Olympic construction delays

Really damn funny! (stadium is actually Telstra Stadium filmed of course)

[Durban Sandshark]

Dream Team flashback: A 1992 McDonald's commercial starring Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin promoting the Dream Team cups with each player on it. There was actually another one for this, but that hasn't been uploaded as of yet. Now why His Royal Airness decided to do his speaking bit at a McDonald's restaurant instead of on the court with Mullin and Ewing is beyond me.

Full disclosure: I actually have a three of those cups--Jordan, Pippen, and Barkley.

1992 Dream Team McDonald's Cups TV Commercial

[mattygs]

I dunno why, but when I was a bit younger I always used to like the Cadbury tv ad, with the choral kind of music, and the milk filling up a chocolate mould of the Olympic rings like an ocean. haha. It was a pretty basic ad, but was cool.
Back in 2000, Air New Zealand also put out a nice variation of their tv ad. Traditionally, it had the little Maori girl dressed in a white dress in different locations around the world, ending in her standing on a beach carrying a piece of driftwood/stick with the Air NZ *pacific wave* blue ribbons tied onto it - with Pokarekare Ana being sung in the background.
The variation for Sydney was the stick being replaced with the Sydney Olympic torch (still wif ribbons) at the end.
Actually, AIRNZ have had few ads. I remember prior to Sydney 2000 they ran the *everything will be perfect* tv ad.
I spose you can't go past the old Maccaz tv ads wif Birdy, Grimmis, Hamburgler and Ronald.
And Coca Cola always have good tv campaigns, I remember their one in 1996 (played in NZ at least) was the *Atlanta is Far... Cheer Loud* ads.

[SkiFreak]

Coca-Cola - winter games - Slow motion instant replay of bobsled team. classic.
Bud Light - 1988 winter games - Spuds Mackenzie ski jumping. Absolutely hilarious.