Olympic Sponsors and Fun at the Games
Live City pavilions attract thousands.
Did you know that the perfect temperature for a Coca-Cola is 39° F? I didn’t either until I visited the Live City Pavilion in downtown Vancouver.
Live City showcases the various sponsors of the Olympic Games, including Coca-Cola, Panasonic, and Samsung. It is a chance for these companies to showcase their products, but more importantly, they say, it is also a chance to get into the Olympic spirit.
“We call if the happiness house,” Leigha Cotton said of the Coca-Cola space in the pavilion. As part of the “happiness house” spectators see a quick video about Coca-Cola’s Olympic torch relay, and some of the 4,500 torch bearers.
Coca-Cola also featured various games for kids to learn more about “giving back” to the environment.
“I think one of the biggest messages we want to send here is about living positively,”
Cotton said.
Panasonic is the Official Worldwide Olympic Partner of audio and visual products.
“We are trying to provide a space for the spectators, citizens, and athletes to enjoy the Olympic experience as well as to experience our 3-D TV technologies,” said Yoko Nakamizu of Panasonic.
Spectators viewed a 3-D show on a 103-inch plasma screen theater.
“The immersive and beautiful pictures make them feel as if they are in the action,” Nakamizu said. The 3-D TV home theater is expected to be available to consumers this spring. “We really see the possibility of 3-D that could become that new stream of the new Olympic broadcast.”
Panasonic featured an environmentally friendly experience.
“We’re trying to achieve the most green Olympic Games,” she said. “One of the strong messages is to nurture the next generation.”
Samsung is the Official Wireless sponsor of the 2010 Winter Olympics. More than 50,000 people visited the Samsung pavilion, where spectators can see the official mobile phone of the Olympic Games, the Omnia II.
“Spectators are encouraged to see what kind of technology we’re providing,” said Vice President of Samsung Worldwide, Gyehyun Kwon.
Samsung will introduce an eco-phone in about four years, says Kwon. These phones will operate with solar power and will be made from 100 percent recycled products.
“The phone is becoming a fundamental tool, not just a phone,” he said. “It’s a part of the human body.” Marketing to young people who will grow into Samsung buyers is a big part of the company's strategy. “The kid is our future,” Kwon said.
PHOTO: Sports fans pose with an Olympic torch at the Coco-Cola exhibit in Live City Pavilion at the Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo Courtesy Daniel Wetter)
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