6ģ As a film director, producer, screenwriter and theatre director with international recognition, Danny Boyle was best positioned to create a show that both conformed to Olympic ethos and displayed British cultural and technological contributions to the world.
How shall this Olympic spirit endure in a post-modern society in which gifts may lose some of their original symbolic value as part of the marketing process? We argue that the London Olympic Games go some lengths to retrieve the bonding value of the Olympic Games in the key event of the opening ceremony which celebrates the moment when the host country receives the Olympic gift and reciprocates it by staging its own contributions to global culture. 5 Opening ceremonies acknowledge the unique Olympic gift in highly symbolic moments: the entry of the athletes on the stadium, the entry of the Olympic flag, the Olympic anthem, the release of the doves, the oath sworn by an athlete and an official of the host country, the entrance of the flame, and the lightning of the cauldron. 5 Pierre de Coubertin, 1892 Sorbonne Conference: “Let us export oarsmen, runners, fencers there is t (.)Ģ No doubt this discourse is at odds with Pierre de Coubertin’s Olympic ethos which focuses on the values of common effort to bring in universal peace in a better, healthier modern society.Profits were also expected, though reports vary as to how much was actually generated in terms of money and return on investment.
Chris Arning notices that “The Olympic ceremony is unique as a cultural product with soft power impact underwritten and indirectly influenced by governments.” 2 Benefits derived from the event included a revived image of the country which, in the words of Boris Johnson, appeared as “the capital of the world” 3. The winning, planning, delivery and legacy of the Olympic Games called upon all the qualities that make the UK stand out in the global economy.” 1 This comment illustrates the part played by the Olympic Games in soft power, defined by political theorist Joseph Nye as the ability to influence through inducement rather than coercion. According to Sebastian Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, “London 2012 was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase everything that makes Britain great.
The Games Opening Ceremony, which was watched by 900 million viewers on television worldwide, presented a great opportunity for the mediatisation of British culture in ways appealing to domestic and global consumers.
The Games Opening Ceremony, which was watched by millions of viewers nationwide and billions worldwide, whether on television or via digital applications, presented a great opportunity for the mediatisation of British culture in ways appealing to domestic and global consumers. Hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 was a wonderful opportunity for Britain to advertise for its position as a hub in the global leisure economy.