Creative agency Sid Lee drew inspiration from Leonardo DaVinci and other classic artists for its campaign for the Canadian Olympic Committee, “Be Olympic.”

The campaign is intended to take Team Canada far beyond this year’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The spot hints at the bigger backstories of many athletes, such as the recovery of snowboarder Mark McMorris after suffering many injuries when he crashed into a tree in the backcountry, and the unity of a trio of skiing sisters. Designing the campaign in this layered way will allow it to live on across many platforms even after these Olympics are over.

“We see ‘Be Olympic’ as a brand new platform for the COC moving forward, giving a greater sense of purpose to the athletes,” Tom Koukodimos, executive creative director and partner at Sid Lee told The Drum. “There’s a long game here to play a role in supporting our athletes not just during the games, but beyond the games. I think the insight of where we’re just celebrating medals; we’re losing a huge part of the story and purpose around the games and the athletes’ stories. That was important to tap into something that resonated during and beyond the games.”

After the games, the Canadian Olympic Committee plans to create more video content as well as out-of-home, print and social media assets to continue promoting its athletes on a global scale.

“What came up time and time again was this idea that Canadian athletes want to have an impact bigger than just sport, and what was also revealed in some of that insight work is the sense that Canada is an unexpected leader in uncertain times,” Derek Kent, chief marketing officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee, told the magazine.

The 2018 Winter Olympics run Feb. 9 - 25.

​READ MORE: The Drum

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