CTV OLYMPIC CELEBRATION

PREFACE:
With the Winter Olympics destined for Vancouver in February 2010, CTV and Canada’s Olympic Media Consortium wanted to bring a sense of community to the entire nation, making it Canada’s Games and not just Vancouver’s. There was an opportunity to engage the public in the spirit of the Games. If Canadians could not be in Vancouver, than we would bring the experience to them. In order to make this happen, support from federal, provincial and municipal governments was required. Further, the blessing of the International Olympic Committee was necessary in order to deem the tour a series of genuine Olympic-sanctioned events.

TASK:
The assignment presented to Wendy Kane & Associates, in a country as geographically immense as Canada, was to create a comprehensive program that would unite the masses from east to west and provide an opportunity to all experience, in some way, the Olympic Games and leverage CTV’s broadcast rights. The program had to incorporate the CTV broad programming base (TSN, Outdoor Network, etc.) as well as their regional offices and talent. All components of the CTV Olympic Celebrations were to be created and managed by WK&A.

1. Create a comprehensive program that would unite the masses from east to west and give them a chance to experience the Olympic Spirit and the 2010 Winter Games
2. Build the awareness and viewership of CTV’s extensive Olympic coverage
3. Leverage CTV’s broadcast rights on a national grassroots level
4. Incorporate CTV’s local personalities into the program and allow them to be a part of CTV’s Olympic “family”
5. Execute a high-end sports/entertainment property that garner solid attendance numbers
6. Manage all aspects of the program from: cities, sponsors, venues, marketing, promotions, communications, operations, interactive, programming, talent, production, third-parties, clothing, insurance, contracts, budgets, etc.

SOLUTION:
WK&A developed an extensive sports & entertainment program that saw Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium host five 1-day Olympic Celebrations: Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Quebec City and St. John’s. Each event featured:

1. Large video screens showcasing CTV and RDS’ live coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympic
2. Concert featuring top Canadian recording artists and local talent
3. Interactive Olympic-themed sport zones where the public could try out a few Olympic Sports
4. Local CTV Personalities hosted each Celebration and performed the role of Emcee
5. Corporate and government branded activities as well as promotional materials
6. Entertainment activities for people of all ages
7. Cultural pavilions and hospitality zones
8. VIP & Dignitaries Area
9. Marketing and promotional support from the CTV’s regional office and affiliates

RESULTS:
The CTV Olympic Celebrations exceeded the Consortium’s expectations. Over 100,000 people had a chance to experience this unique initiative and CTV broaden its Olympic “family” base by incorporating their personalities that were not scheduled to be in Vancouver covering the Games. The networks advertisers further leveraged their advertising buys via on-site activations and a direct contact with customers and consumers.