IOC Marketing: Media Guide - International Olympic Committee

Media Contact
l Omega Press Office
Tel: +447808628119
Email: press@omega.ch
Omega first served as the Official Timekeeper at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in
1932. Never before had a single company been chosen to provide all the timing
devices and technology for the Olympic Games. At those Games, Omega delivered
30 handheld stopwatches, which were used to time every event. In London in 2012,
450 professional timekeepers and data handlers, along with a veritable army of local
volunteers, will be using more than 400 tonnes of equipment to ensure that the
timing, scoring, display and distribution of the results are flawlessly executed.
Omega’s unparalleled reputation as an innovator in sports timing and measurement
technologies has led to a long, rewarding relationship with the IOC. In London,
Omega will assume its Official Timekeeper role for the 25th time.
London 2012 Timekeeping Technology
Omega will debut several new timekeeping technologies in London, including:
l Quantum Timer – With an enhanced resolution of one millionth of a second,
the Quantum Timers mark the beginning of a new generation of OMEGA Timing
products, providing 100 times greater resolution than previous devices.
l Athletics Starting Block – The runners’ reaction times will be measured
entirely by the force against the back block and not by movement.
l Swimming Show – Lights mounted on the starting blocks will instantly
indicate the first three swimmers to tap their touch pads at the end of a race.
l Open Water Gate – New gates will provide timing information at intervals
throughout the swimming marathons, as well as the beginning and end.
The Countdown Clocks
Among the symbols that best represent Omega’s Olympic role is the Countdown
Clock in London, which was unveiled on 14 March 2011, exactly 500 days before
the festivities were scheduled to begin. The clock is 6.5 metres high, five metres long
and weighs around four tonnes. Another was activated in July 2011 in Greenwich.
Omega’s Olympic Games Marketing
IOC Marketing: Media Guide / 32
Omega has created a range of marketing materials in support of its role at the
Olympic Games. Its television commercial features some great Olympic athletes in
the moments just before their events begin and uses the Rolling Stones’ 1982 hit
“Start Me Up”. The brand has also created a print campaign and a brochure that
recall the birth of modern sports timekeeping at the London 1948 Olympic Games,
when Omega was also Official Timekeeper.
Omega Seamaster 1948 Co-Axial ‘London 2012’
Limited Edition
The Omega Seamaster Diver 1948 Co-Axial ‘London 2012’ Limited Edition
combines a design influenced by the very first Omega Seamaster launched in 1948
and the brand’s cutting-edge Co-Axial technology. When the Games were last held
in London in 1948, Omega was on hand as Official Timekeeper so the classicallystyled
wristwatch is a perfect tribute to a special year. The watch has an 18Ct gold
medallion embossed with the London 2012 logo mounted in the caseback.