OLYMPICS ADVERT: A spectacular television commercial using the image of Dublin's Spire will be broadcast from next week to say "thank you" to everyone who helped stage the Special Olympics, writes Carl O'Brien.
The advertisement, which features a voice-over by Pierce Brosnan, will be broadcast in the days following Sunday's closing ceremony in Croke Park. The commercial was created for the Games by DDFH&B Advertising and will be broadcast by RTÉ.
Both companies, which are sponsors of the Special Olympics, have donated their services free. Dublin City Council also waived copyright fees for use of the image of the Spire.
The advertisement opens with an image of the Spire which takes off from O'Connell Street, flies across the city and ends up in Croke Park, where it writes a large "thank you" to everyone who has helped stage the games.
Suzanne Weldon, director of marketing and communications for the Special Olympics, said: "It's a way of expressing thanks on behalf of the Special Olympics to everyone who got involved, be it the host towns, the volunteers, the sports organisations."
DDFH&B played a key role in planning the advertising of the Games and devised the by now familiar slogan, "share the feeling", which helped capture the enthusiasm and support of the country for the competition.
It also helped to devise a series of TV commercials from the original launch of the competition aimed at heightening awareness of the competition which involved sports stars Roy Keane, Sonia O'Sullivan and Keith Wood.
All the celebrities, crew and technicians volunteered their services free, while royalty-free music was provided by Sinéad O'Connor and David Bowie.