Omega at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Omega, the official timekeeper of the London 2012 Olympic Games, today presented its global advertising campaign for the London Games, celebrating the brand’s rich Olympic history and the great moments in time that are at the heart of the Olympic movement.

The television commercial, produced in 15-, 30- and 60-second versions, features Chinese diver Qiu Bo, U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin, British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos and U.S. pole vaulter Jenn Suhr – all Olympic hopefuls and Omega watches Brand Ambassadors – and focuses on the athletes’ routines and concentration in the pivotal minutes and seconds before competition, a moment in time for each athlete than can set the tone for his / her entire performance.
And the soundtrack was provided by the Rolling Stones, who in this Olympic year are celebrating fifty years as London’s most iconic music makers. Their 1981 hit, “Start Me Up”, with its pulsating and instantly recognizable opening guitar riff has been remixed by star producer Don Was and provides the perfect soundscape for the world-class athletes.

“The shooting schedule and locations for the spot were quite ambitious,” said OMEGA president Stephen Urquhart. “But the result is powerful and emotional and we are very happy with the result.” He added, “The Rolling Stones are the definitive London band and we are thrilled with this mix that breathes new life into a great song that the world has loved of thirty years.”

The commercial was filmed at five separate locations in South Florida. Ennis and Suhr filmed at Sun Life Stadium, the 75,000-seat home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins; local rowers from the Miami Rowing Club and an Olympic-hopeful archer shot at Key Biscayne’s Miami Marine Stadium; Qiu Bo took to the 10 meter platform at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex; Tyson Gay and his training partners from Pure Athletics in Orlando filmed at Miami’s Curtis Park; and Coughlin and Le Clos shot at Ransom Everglades School’s new aquatic complex.

“The day was really fun,” said Coughlin of her shoot at Ransom Everglades School. “Timing is everything in the sport of swimming and I am very proud to be a part of the OMEGA family.”

“It’s a great honor to be a part of this ‘advert’ and to be an Omega watch Ambassador,” said Ennis. “To be featured alongside so many other great athletes in this campaign is a real privilege.”

“I had a great time with all my teammates,” said Gay of his shoot day in Miami. “We had a great time laughing, and joking around, and I’m really glad I got to share the experience with them.”

“It was my first time in the United States and I didn’t want to go home,” said Le Clos of his experience at the shoot. “It was such a beautiful place to be, the school and the facilities were fantastic. Being on set is very new to me, but something I think I can get used to.”

“The OMEGA crew was so helpful and supportive in helping me feel comfortable in an atmosphere I’m truly not,” said Suhr of her shoot day in Miami. “The amount of work that goes into this, from the amount of people on set, to the preparation, is incredible.”

The 2012 Olympic Games in London will have a special significance for OMEGA. Not only will the company assume the role of Official Timekeeper for the 25th time, it will also celebrate 80 years since it first served as Official Olympic Official Timekeeper at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games. And in 1948, the last time the Games were contested in London, OMEGA was on hand to help usher in the birth of modern sports timekeeping.