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Olympics handover: were the best on the bus?

Posted in Media, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs August 26th, 2008 by Branwell Johnson

The Olympic handover has taken place and the UK is readying to present its best face to the world for 2012. But did the closing ceremony showcase the UK’s most appropriate brand values on Sunday?

Yep, the organisers only had eight minutes to showcase the best of British and the double decker bus, zebra crossing and “urban” dancers all helped showcase London’s mixture of heritage and dynamic modern culture.

It’s the three ambassadors who popped out the bus like the characters in Camberwick Green’s music box that threw me. Leona Lewis just about ticks some boxes as she is young, from the impoverished borough of Hackney that will share some of the spoils of the rejuvenation of the East End and she has topped the charts in the US, so is increasing her global reach.

But David Beckham? C’mon, He is the most famous sportsman in terms of recognition that the UK can offer. But I would have preferred to see an Olympian, someone who had competed and triumphed in the past. It’s not even as though England (or Scotland, or Wales, or Northern Ireland) has excelled on the global football stage of late. England didn’t even qualify for Euro 2008 so we cannot claim to be a world leader in the sport.

Jimmy Page? Hmmm. Led Zep was one of the biggest bands on the planet and the recent reunion drew worldwide coverage but Page himself is not a charismatic global star. Now Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney or Eric Clapton maybe…

Who would you have chosen to be on the bus to represent the British brand?

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