London 2012 - The Olympic Opening Ceremony

As a Creative Director I feel like I have to doff my cap with extra exuberance to Danny Boyle. Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony was a ceremony to rule all ceremonies and his artistic creation opened the Olympic Games in brilliant fashion.

It was a great night to be a spectator and a great night to be British. There was drama, celebration, wit (truly British wit at that) and a whole host of national pride thrown in. Whilst it may have been the first Olympic Ceremony that needed a live feed on Twitter to explain it to the rest of the world, the transition from bucolic idyll to the ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ of the industrial revolution and then the ‘digital’ age took the audience on a journey like no other through British history and culture – not forgetting that we had Mr Bean and Sir Paul McCartney to look forward to.

No doubt the ceremony resonated with its audience – perhaps more so with different people at different moments - but for me there were two sections in the show which stood out.

Firstly, Daniel Craig walking through the lavishly decorated and iconic interiors of Buckingham Palace to pick up the Queen and her Corgis was for me an amalgamation of our country’s impeccable taste, tradition and ability to not take ourselves too seriously. The whole stunt was iconic and fun. Kudos Ma’am! Secondly, the British countryside element. If anything, the nature we have on this small island is overlooked and to see it celebrated in such a way was apt. Certainly for myself and the design team at And So To Bed, nature plays an important role in the creative process  – just think of our Tree of Life Four Poster or our Floral Caned Bedstead.

Danny Boyle showcased pastoral Britain marvellously. As per Truffle’s Treat, Danny Boyle’s ‘Isle of Wonder’ and transformation of the Olympic stadium into something ‘Green and Pleasant’ was a spectacle to be marvelled at!

Posted by Iconography Ltd
30th July 2012

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