Anyone with even the tiniest of competitive streaks will find it hard not to get swept away by Olympic fever this month. Now that Omega has unveiled its new campaign for the global sporting event, it’ll be even harder to resist. Featuring a stellar lineup of 12 athletes (who are Omega ambassadors) from across the globe, the campaign celebrates the world’s Olympic gold hopefuls who have given their all to shine at this once-every-four-years event, while showcasing the host city in all its magnificent glory.
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It’s a captivating campaign that delivers a good dose of surrealism with its clever play on perspectives, turning the sports stars into literal giants with Paris’ most famous and beloved landmarks at their feet. In one scene, America’s Erriyon Knighton gets ready to sprint down a scaled-down Champs-Élysées as his track. In another, China’s Ma Long serves killer returns with the Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge as his table tennis court. France’s Céline Boutier tees off from a moss-covered gargoyle with Paris spread beneath her, while Italian wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio lunges against his opponent with the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower between them. Swedish-American Mondo Duplantis vaults over the Basilica du Sacré-Coeur as Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi high-jumps over the Arc de Triomphe. And to accompany all this is “Born to be a Legend”, an emotive track written by French rapper SDM, and performed with his signature gravelly voice, specifically for the campaign. (The one-minute advertisement is on the brand’s official YouTube channel.)
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It’s a fitting way to mark Omega’s 30th occasion as the Olympic Games’ official timekeeper, having taken up the mantel in 1932 and measuring every event with unparalleled accuracy. Let the games begin!