The headlines in the leadup to Rio have all been about the danger of the water, the dangers of Zika, the dangers of terrorism in Brazil, the dangers of competing against doped Russian athletes, and generally-speaking about how terrible the 2016 Olympics will be.
For a moment, though, Samsung, hoping to capture on the world’s fatigue and exacerbation with fighting, has released their Olympic commercial that focuses on a different angle of the Olympics that is easy to forget: unity.
It’s one time every four years where athletes from different countries and different cultures come together to celebrate sport. The Olympic village is one of the world’s greatest crossroards for cultural exchange, where athletes show that civility can exist even among competitors for the same titles.
In the ad, Samsung takes national anthems from around the world and combine them into one great anthem about peace and love.
Yes, this is an advertisement, but today’s marketing executives are the novelists and philosophers of yesteryear, and in this case, they’ve hit a point that needs to be made on its head: yes, the Rio 2016 Olympics has its issues, and yes, we’re all hoping against hope that above all else, everyone returns to their home countries alive and healthy. But we must remember what the Olympics are for, why they matter, and what the qualities are that make the billions of citizens of Earth care about sports like swimming, gymnastics, and track & field when all of the compelling storylines at World Championships and Grand Prix events in between can’t elicit the same attention.
Included in the ad are 6 athletes from around the world – including Olympic medalist diver Tom Daley.
All 6 featured athletse:
- Tom Daley (Great Britain, Diving) – London 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist, 10m Platform
- Alysia Montano (United States of America, Track & Field) – London 2012 Olympic Games, 5th place, 800m
- Arnaud Assoumani (France, Paralympic Games Athletics) – London 2012 Paralympic Games 2x Silver Medalist, Triple Jump F46 and Long Jump F46, Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Gold Medalist, Long Jump F46, Athens 2004 Paralympic Games Bronze Medalist, Long Jump f46
- Margret Rumat Rumat Hassan (South Sudan, Track & Field)
- Shelley Watts (Australia, Boxing)
- Gabriel Medina (Brazil, Surfing) – 2014 WSL World Champion
Rather than actually assist or encourage Rio with solving some problems we sent shards of glass . Now when things are as ready as most former games were ,(behind the scenes they are all chaotic & on a wing & a prayer) we sail into all superior & preach love.
Then we’ll fly out & leave them with the debts .
Great Vid!