As London 2012 Olympic activity ramps up with just over a month until the event itself kicks into life, Kath Hipwell planning director who oversees Red Bee Media's content strategy rounds up some of the content strategies being implemented by brands and media partners aiming to get as much out of the sporting occasion as they possibly can.
Creating relevant content is now an essential part of 21st century marketing. Particularly, it would seem, when the goal is to own an event such as the London 2012 Olympics. So many powerful brands are fighting to get their pound of Olympic flesh that sponsors need to leverage their VIP access in every way they can.
Four years ago, Coca-Cola, BMW and Sainsbury’s may have just made conventional ads or attached their logo to pieces of content. But in today’s world where brands are increasingly seeking to be the content, not interrupt it, they have created something much more engaging. As part of their London 2012 sponsorship activity, Coke will create more than 120 pieces of content compared with a measly three TV ads and six posters for Beijing 2008.
Coca-Cola – Move to the Beat
Never mind the smell of Olympic success then, Coke have decided to bottle the sound of sport. One of their initiatives, ‘Move to the beat of the London 2012 Olympic Games’, is a collaboration between Coke and Mark Ronson which hopes to record the sounds of Olympic sports and transform them into something approaching music.
The attempt is captured in a 25 minute film aired on E4 which makes for entertaining viewing. It also captures the optimistic, global, youthful spirit reminiscent of Coke’s iconic ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’ ad from 1971 – another global harmony co-created by Coke.
BMW – The Ultimate Performance
BMW has taken a more philosophical approach, using Olympic athletes as a metaphor for their product as they explore what it takes to produce ‘The Ultimate Performance’. They created four short documentary films, directed by award-winning documentary makers and released one a week to keep consumers coming back for more.
One of the most successful is arguably ‘Power, Speed and Endurance’ directed by Asif Kapadia, the BAFTA winning director of Senna. He draws parallels between the golden age of athletics and of automobiles, so the audience can’t help but view both as high performance machines. It’s then just a short hop to ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’.
adidas Bodycare – TomDaley.TV
From the ultimate driving machine, to the ultimate diving machine, in the form of Britain’s very own Tom Daley. Arguably one of the most marketable Olympic athletes, Tom has been busy creating some content of his own at TomDaley.TV. Brands were not too far off the scent though and adidas got involved by taking over Tom’s official web TV channel for the month of May. The sponsored videos inform us that he trains for a gruelling six hours a day, six days a week, and that adidas Bodycare will be “keeping Tom cool under pressure”.
The content shares some of his impressive skills and Tom delivers his pieces to camera with such well-groomed charm that you can’t help but smile. There are plenty of smiley faces in the incredibly supportive tweets being streamed on the site too. In fact, it all feels rather perfect – right down to the Union Jack duvet cover and coordinating adidas deodorant can…
Sainsbury’s – Sainsbury’s and Channel 4 Present…
A series of 10 short films aired on Channel 4 and channel4.com helps Sainsbury’s amplify their sponsorship of the Paralympic Games. Paralympic athletes, including gold-medal winning swimmer Ellie Simmonds, share their tales of dedication to their sport and the sacrifices they are having to make on the way to the Games. The resulting stories feel compelling and intimate, although unfortunately Sainsbury’s sponsorship is bolted onto the end in quite an ungainly manner, which rather breaks the spell. That said, the series is highly watchable and affords Sainsbury’s a platform from which to share its commitment to promoting healthier, more active lifestyles for all ages and abilities. A laudable goal indeed and one in line with the event it’s sponsoring.
British Airways – Boy
Perhaps the most ambitious, brave and emotionally powerful work though is from British Airways (BA). Their Na href="http://www.britishairways.com/travel/great-britons/public/en_gb">‘Great Britons’ programme has led to the creation of a stunning film entitled ‘Boy’. This incredibly moving and beautiful nine minute story was penned by Great Britons winner Prasanna Puwanarajah and features Timothy Spall. The story is one step removed from the Olympic Games and feels more original and authentic for it, while elements set in the Olympic Park’s Velodrome ensure its relevance. It will be seen by up to six million BA passengers this summer; the fact that it is a silent film makes it all the more transportable.
With incredibly subtle branding, save for the end credits of their film, you might ask what’s in it for BA? Certainly they’re not getting the product placement of adidas or the overt meshing of their logo with the 2012 Olympics that Sainsbury’s nail on to the end of their work. But for my money their modest approach is hugely powerful and shifts my perceptions of the brand in a way their recent advertising has failed to do. I admire them for their respectful and sophisticated engagement with the Games and I bet when passengers watch Boy on BA flights there is much sobbing in the aisles. And if you can make your audience cry, you’re halfway there.
It feels like a new era of sponsorship is dawning.
One in which associations can and should be made to say a whole lot more about the brand than merely a proud supporter of…
The changing media landscape means that brands no longer have to interrupt audiences to get their attention; instead we can create conversations and gripping content that they’ll choose to engage with. At Red Bee Media, we believe content is the key to making sponsorships much more effective, achieving not just logo awareness, but a real attraction to your brand. Use content well and you’ll raise awareness, deepen engagement and convert an audience into a customer base.
What do you think? Is content now an essential part of 21st century sponsorships? Can non-sponsors use content to create an association not possible elsewhere due to tight regulation?
Vauxhall restaurant offers 'Good for the Soul' food - NJ.com
Good for the Soul, is a new soul food restaurant in Vauxhall. It is a family-owned restaurant specializing in good Southern Cuisine. From crispy fried fish to delicious Soul Punch, we have an extensive and inviting menu and offer tasty daily lunch specials. Not only are we the only full service, dine-in Soul Food restaurant in the area but we also provide catering services for either on- or off-premises events. Good for the Soul will be offering patrons a larger, on-site, banquet facility option for parties and events, this summer.
Menu samples are: fried wings and waffles, fried wings and red velvet waffles, baked chicken, fried wings, Buffalo and stick wings, macaroni and cheese, string beans, cabbage greens, Tilapia, fried Whiting, pork chops, sweet mashed potatoes, Soul chips, fish and grits and our very own Soul Punch. Daily specials - beef ribs, pork ribs and assorted salads. Homemade Desserts - Red Velvet Cake, Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake Pops, Pound Cake.
A meeting room is available for private functions, birthday parties, graduation parties, kids parties, book club meetings, bridal and baby showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, spa parties and corporate meetings, family reunions and christening parties.
Good for the Soul is located at 2170 Springfield Ave. (near Maple Avenue) in Vauxhall - 908-378-5354. Visit us on Facebook. Dine in or take out; on- and off-premise catering. Hours of operation are Monday, closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6 p.m.
London Welsh prepare for appeal over Premiership exile - The Guardian
London Welsh's appeal against a decision barring them promotion to the Aviva Premiership looks set to be heard this month.
The Exiles won this season's Championship after beating Cornish Pirates in both legs of the final.
However, the Richmond-based club were told just hours before the first leg kicked off in Cornwall that they did not meet minimum standards criteria set down by English rugby's Professional Game Board for Premiership entry.
London Welsh played the final's second leg at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, which is thought to be their preferred venue should they gain Premiership status.
As things stand, Newcastle will remain in the Premiership next season despite finishing bottom, a point behind Wasps, this season. However, should London Welsh succeed in overturning an original decision that went against them then they will go up and the Falcons will be relegated.
In a statement, the RFU said: "The Rugby Football Union has today received London Welsh's appeal against the decision that the club failed to meet the minimum standards criteria set out by the Professional Game Board for promotion to the Aviva Premiership.
"It is proposed that the appeal hearing, which will take place before an independent panel, will be held on 21 June at the London Bloomsbury Hotel.
"An expedited timetable has been agreed with London Welsh, with the proposed date of 21 June the earliest possible time to allow for the exchange of cases and evidence. During the appeal, no further comment will be made."
London 2012: 50 of the best unusual museums in London - Daily Telegraph
2. Cartoon Museum, Holborn
Just a few streets away from the looming British Museum, the diminutive Cartoon Museum is easily missed but worth seeking out. Its mission is to preserve and promote British cartoon art, comic art and caricature and with a collection that dates from the 18th century to the present, visitors of all ages will discover cartoons that tickle their fancy or spark a childhood memory. Playful and popular cartoon strips featuring The Bash Street Kids, Billy the Whizz and Dennis the Menace are shown alongside rarer and more politically minded works; if you feel the subject matter warrants further exploration you can also make an appointment to access the museum’s library, where comic book connoisseurs can study the medium further.
3. Old Operating Theatre, London Bridge
In the 1800s, the Old Operating Theatre was used as an operating space for the deathly sick interned at St. Thomas’s Hospital. In those times medical equipment was primitive and effective anaesthesia unavailable so invasive surgeries such as amputations were terrifying ordeals for patients – although a skilled surgeon could perform the procedure in under a minute, novices would sometimes hack and chisel at mangled limbs for much longer. Staff talks on the theatre bring the innocuous wood-panelled space to gruesome life so it’s worth timing your visit to coincide with one; the adjacent herb garret exhibition space has complementary medical displays.
4. Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising; Notting Hill
Those same household products that we retrieve from supermarket shelves week-in, week-out are so familiar that we may not consciously consider our relationships with them, but the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising seeks to do just that. Started by consumer historian Robert Opie, the museum’s collection includes over 12,000 original items that should be familiar to all of us, be they packets of cereal, tins of baked beans or sachets of custard powder. Consider an amble through the space a rummage through a particularly well-stocked larder and prepare to encounter plenty of decommissioned products that once held pride of place on your family’s kitchen table.
5. The Vault at Hard Rock Café, Park Lane
With so many unique restaurants in London I despair when I see tourists queuing for a table at the Hard Rock Café but fans of music memorabilia will appreciate The Vault. So named because the space was once part of a Coutts bank and now holds valuable music mementos, the display area houses some impressive exhibits. Items in the collection include the guitar used by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash in the November Rain video, a harpsichord frequently used by The Beatles and, strangely, one of Madonna’s old credit cards. Open seven days a week, The Vault’s opening hours are different from the main dining space (typically it’s open from midday to 9pm) and admission is free.
6. British Dental Association Dental Museum, Marylebone
Its origins may date back almost 100 years but there are still plenty of lifelong Londoners oblivious to the existence of the BDA Dental Museum. Its foundations date back to 1919 when Lilian Lindsay, the first female to qualify as a dentist in the country, donated a number of old dental instruments to the association. Today the museum’s collection includes some 20,000 items with dental instruments, furniture, photographs and art all on display. With few people enthusiastic about a trip to the dentist, going to the museum might be another way to pay your respects to this field of medicine.
7. Pollock’s Toy Museum, Fitzrovia
The space is cluttered and the collection of old, beady-eyed dolls could be considered somewhat creepy, but Pollock’s Toy Museum is an intriguing place. The museum itself occupies two conjoined houses near Goodge Street and when wandering from one small room to another prepare to encounter toys from your own childhood. Despite the ostensibly juvenile subject matter this museum is possibly better suited to adults who want to wallow in nostalgia than parents who want to provide their kids with distraction.
8. The Crime Museum, New Scotland Yard
London has plenty of macabre museums, but perhaps the most morbid is The Crime Museum, better known as The Black Museum, at New Scotland Yard. Housing an extensive number of weapons which have been used to commit murders or serious assaults in London, its collection includes items used by Jack the Ripper and Charlie Peace. The cases the displays are connected to remain shocking and emotive and it’s perhaps for that reason the museum isn’t open to the general public; however, members of the police forces or associated bodies sometimes access the space to attend lectures on forensic science, pathology, law and investigative techniques.
9. Geffrye Museum, Hackney
Anyone with an interest in interiors or design will be charmed by the Geffrye Museum in Hoxton. Based in a series of connected 18th century almshouses, the museum shows typical middle-class living quarters in a succession of period rooms. Visitors start their journey in a traditional 17th century living space and gradually work their way up to the present day. Period gardens in the grounds repeat the process so there’s even more to discover outdoors when weather permits.
10. Household Cavalry Museum
The imposing, Grade I listed Horse Guards in Whitehall makes an impressive setting for the Household Cavalry Museum. The Household Cavalry guards the Queen on ceremonial occasions and also forms an operational regiment that serves around the world; visitors to the museum can learn about its role in detail through interactive displays and can often see members of the cavalry tending to their duties and caring for their horses in the Horse Guards’ 18th century stables.
11. Magic Circle Museum, Euston
By Euston Station, The Magic Circle is a private club where magicians converge; the Magic Circle Museum is a connected space that gives the rest of us insight into how the world’s greatest illusionists operate. Accompanied by guides, visitors can view props used by the likes of Harry Houdini and Chung Ling Soo, the rifles used for Maurice Fogel’s ‘bullet catch’ and hundreds of rare posters.
12. Freud Museum, Hampstead
A short stroll from Finchley Road Underground station, the Freud Museum is housed in what was once the home of Sigmund Freud and his family. They moved here after escaping the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938 and it was occupied by the family until the death of Freud’s youngest daughter Anna Freud in 1982. It was her wish that the home become a museum that paid tribute to her father’s efforts, and the space remains crammed with his and her accoutrements. Most popular is Freud’s psychoanalytic couch, but visitors will also discover his collection of antiquities, Freud’s writing desk and items from his library.
13. London Sewing Machine Museum, Balham
Part of the Wimbledon Sewing Machine Company, the London Sewing Machine charts the history and evolution of sewing machines both domestic and industrial and contains some 700 different types. Those especially interested in these tools might be excited by an example of the first Singer machine and a machine originally owned by Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, but this idiosyncratic space is also enjoyed by all manner of designer. It’s usually open only on the first Saturday of each month.
14. London Fire Brigade Museum, Southwark
The London Fire Brigade Museum in Southwark is a must-visit for any adult who aspired to work in the fire brigade as a child, and an interesting attraction for everyone else too. Housed in what was once part of the original Southwark fire station, the museum’s most impressive exhibits are its historical fire engines and Victorian-era gear room but there’s plenty to explore. Visits must be arranged by prior appointment and guests are accompanied by an expert guide.
15. Sherlock Holmes Museum, Baker Street
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote that his fictional characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson lived at 221b Baker Street and that is the location of the real-life Sherlock Holmes Museum. Despite the men never existing, the museum does a good job of creating a setting that seems authentic, with the multi-storey space crammed with antique artefacts that could have been used by the sleuth and his associate. An added attraction is the man in period costume usually stationed outside the door, providing a popular photo opportunity for visiting tourists.
16. The Royal London Museum, Whitechapel
Within the Royal London Hospital, the Royal London Museum documents the history of the hospital and the most notable cases treated there. Surgical instruments, old uniforms and assorted trinkets make for atmospheric displays but the venue is perhaps most known for its showcase on forensic medicine – which includes original material related to the Jack the Ripper murders – and its association with Joseph Merrick, the ‘Elephant Man’. He spent the last four years of his life in a specially adapted room within the hospital, and some of his personal effects (including his hat, veil and a cardboard church he made as a gift) remain on show.
17. Bank of England Museum, City of London
Global financial markets are more confusing than ever, so this could be considered a good time to visit the Bank of England Museum for some contextualisation and education. Tracing the history of the Bank of England from its 1694 foundation to the present day, the museum includes displays of old banknotes and coins, antique furniture, historic pictures and glistening gold bars. Entry to the museum is free which, given how much financial pain everyone’s already in, is just as well.
18. Garden Museum, Lambeth
Beautiful and tranquil, the Garden Museum lays in the church of St Mary’s in Lambeth, with the Thames surging past its door. Within the tastefully adapted church, changing exhibitions consider issues related to British gardens and are supplemented by a series of talks; permanent displays of paintings, tools and garden equipment provide further interest. Outside, the grounds contain a well-tended knot garden and the tombs of the celebrated gardeners John the Elder and Younger.
19. World Rugby Museum, Twickenham
Within Twickenham Stadium, the World Rugby Museum is home to one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of rugby memorabilia. Many of its 10,000 objects are kept in storage but trophies, historical photographs and early match programmes and tickets are typically on display. If visiting the museum, consider timing your visit to coincide with one of the tours of Twickenham Stadium (for which there’s an additional charge). When running, they allow fans to take a walk around the pitch itself, the players’ tunnel and the England dressing room.
20. New London Architecture, Holborn
New London Architecture concerns itself with all issues related to London-based architecture, planning, development and construction, and its publicly accessible galleries seek to inform Londoners about the capital’s rapidly changing cityscape. An ongoing programme of debates and discussions consider pertinent issues in depth, but if you only have time for a quick visit, be sure to check out the giant scale model of central London. Measuring 12 metres, the 1:1500 scale model also includes proposed London buildings that have secured planning permission and are in development.
21. The Cinema Museum, Kennington
The Cinema Museum celebrates all aspects of cinema, with a particular appreciation for the pre-digital days when ‘going to the pictures’ was a ticket to escapism and fantasy. The extensive collection deserves detailed exploration, including as it does countless photographic images, old cinema posters, cinema staff uniforms and antique cinema fixtures. Guided tours of the museum are available most days but must be booked in advance as they’re lead by volunteers; a varied complementary programme of talks and screenings attract all manner of cinema enthusiasts and film industry insiders.
22. Leighton House Museum, Holland Park
Its exterior may be unprepossessing, but Leighton House Museum’s beautifully opulent interiors must rival the most lavish private houses in surrounding Kensington. The building was once the home and studio of the Victorian artist Lord Frederic Leighton and it remains a showcase for his spectacular artefacts. The central Arab Hall displays Leighton’s dazzling collection of shimmering Islamic tiles, but other ornate rooms impress with antique furniture and tasteful contemporary art displays. If possible it’s worth timing your visit to coincide with the free tours given at certain times on Wednesdays and Sundays; otherwise it’s possible to download an MP3 tour of the house from the museum website in advance of your visit.
23. V&A Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green
The V&A Museum in South Kensington is known internationally as one of the world’s greatest museums of art and design; less recognised is its Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. This is where the V&A houses its collection of childhood-related objects and with displayed objects often dating back decades (and in some cases centuries), it’s worth a visit whatever your age. The curators deserve further kudos for providing a complementary programme of free daily drop-in activities for children, all designed to entertain and educate young minds.
24. Petrie Museum, Euston
Found within UCL, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology may be small but its collection of some 80,000 objects makes it one of the greatest museums of its type anywhere. Among its artefacts are sculptures of lions from the temple of Min at Koptos, dating from around 3000BC and the oldest wills on papyrus paper, as well as various ancient costumes and a series of Roman-period mummy portraits. Admission is free but opening hours are limited so check in advance of your visit.
25. Whitechapel Bell Foundry, Whitechapel
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is best known for two things: being the oldest manufacturing company in Britain, having been founded in 1570 and operating continually since; and for creating the Big Ben bell at the Palace of Westminster. The foundry includes a small exhibition space in its foyer but is best explored on a pre-booked tour. Detailing the efforts undertaken to cast bells and showing the workspaces in which they’re made, the tour provides detailed insight into the company’s operations and the limited numbers accommodated in the small space means places get snapped up quickly.
London Welsh and Newcastle face anxious wait after RFU set appeal date - Daily Mail
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London Welsh's appeal against a decision barring them promotion to the Aviva Premiership looks set to be heard later this month.
The Exiles won this season's Championship after beating Cornish Pirates in both legs of the final.
Champagne moment: London Welsh clinched the title on Wednesday night
But the Richmond-based club were told just hours before the first leg kicked off in Cornwall they did not meet minimum standards criteria set down by English rugby's Professional Game Board for Premiership entry.
London Welsh played the final's second leg at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, which is thought to be their preferred venue should they gain top-flight status.
As things stand, Newcastle will remain in the Premiership next term despite finishing bottom by a point behind Wasps this season.
But should London Welsh succeed in overturning an original decision that went against them, then they will go up and the Falcons be relegated.
In a statement, the RFU said: 'The Rugby Football Union has today received London Welsh's appeal against the decision that the club failed to meet the minimum standards criteria set out by the Professional Game Board for promotion to the Aviva Premiership.
'It is proposed that the appeal hearing, which will take place before an independent panel, will be held on June 21 at the London Bloomsbury Hotel.
'An expedited timetable has been agreed with London Welsh, with the proposed date of June 21 the earliest possible time to allow for the exchange of cases and evidence.
'During the appeal, no further comment will be made.'
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