Callback
Allow me to be positive...
We absolutely loved the Olympics. The atmosphere in the UK was incredible! The crowds, the athletes, the press... everyone was so excited, and rightly so! We’d pulled it off, a great event and to top it all off Team GB were spectacular, their achievements outdoing every prediction going. They really were the greatest team at the greatest games.
I’m starting with all this optimism only to bring it back down, as Brits we have to be able to laugh at ourselves; it’s practically the law, with that in mind... I give to you my favourite print fails of the Olympics – and there were a lot of them.
With the strict enforcement from LOCOG, the nation was walking on eggshells when it came to what we could and couldn’t display/advertise. Turns out perhaps they could’ve spent their time double checking the print work instead.
1.We’ll start with my personal favourite, an understated print fail. Not widely picked up but oh so effective. It’s such a simple error and a case of poor application rather than a printing error. If only they had taken a step back to look at it.
2. The next one is another understated print fail. Not too obvious and quite easy to do – that doesn’t make it ok. When it was announced that the Olympic tickets were to be outsourced to US printers there was disappointment and outcry from members of the UK print industry. But at least we can say they did a fantastic job... oh...wait.
3. This one is not understated, it made the press seconds after the mishap took place. The first day of the London 2012 Olympics and we manage to put up a South Korean flag for North Korean women footballers. Needless to say they were not impressed; it also led to this fantastic ad from Specsavers.
4. There was a fail from one of the key sponsor’s – Visa. With their outdoor promotions stepping up a gear in the lead up, they didn’t quite do their homework and ended up with a billboard mixing up BMX world champion Shanaze Reade and paralympian Stefanie Reid.
5. A mishap noticed quickly by the press in the days leading up to the opening ceremony came courtesy of Westfield’s, located next to the Olympic Park. When they opened their doors to welcome the world to Stratford their signage may have been a little misleading. The banners in Arabic were completely incoherent following a similar error from First Capital Connect train line.
So I apologise for the cynicism, the games were spectacular, memorable and a real achievement. But let’s face it; we do love it when someone else gets it wrong.
