Article
Corporate glitter on the green
Coca Cola's pavilion is a drawcard at the Olympic Green. Corporate sponsors have gone all out to make their presence felt.
Photo: Edwin Lee
This year's Olympic ticket holders have access to not only the stadiums, but also a 1,000-hectare world of greenery where they can enjoy carnival-like parades and pavilions showcasing the best, and sometimes the oddest, of corporate sponsors and the country.
The Olympic Green, which hosts the architectural wonders of the "Bird's Nest" and the "Water Cube", is also home to two other stadiums and - for now - 16 corporate sponsors' pavilions, each trying to impress through eye-catching exteriors, interactive games and a full schedule of performances ranging from Cuban drummers and hyper cheerleaders to acrobatics of the digital age.
Large crowds gathered at Samsung's pavilion - which boasts a colourful seedling design with an outdoor plaza showing live feeds of the Games - and Volkswagen's, which features a 70-metre-long LED banner and suspended acrobats doing running and swimming moves synchronised against background digital images. GE's waterfall facade with the Chinese characters for "Gold, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth" also features on many visitors' photo collections.
Chinese companies were determined not to be outdone. Insurer PICC (People's Insurance Company of China) has a pavilion mimicking the bow of a giant wave-braving ship with a deck that opens up to a spectacular view of the Bird's Nest (alas, VIP entry only), and China Mobile's pavilion features a gigantic image of comedian Ge You's head bursting out of the wall.
Oil giant China National Petroleum Corporation tried its best to transform its container-like exhibition hall into an example of eco-friendly buildings, by planting grass all over its pavilion's exterior.
The design of the State Grid's pavilion screamed of government conservatism, but the company tried to make up for it with a range of cultural performances and the exhibition of a dinosaur egg from Henan - don't ask why. The Bank of China put on a display about the bank's history, along with simulation games for badminton and stock trading.
China Mobile headed into outer space for inspiration, dressing staff in amusing futuristic costumes and offering mobile-phone-based interactive games.
Lenovo, which designed the Olympic torch, attracted a long queue by offering photo opportunities with the torch against different backgrounds. And of course, visitors can test-drive the company's different laptop models while waiting for the photo to be printed and framed.
Amazing collections of torches from previous Olympics can also be found in the Samsung, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola pavilions.
Fans of Chinese women's volleyball cannot miss the adidas pavilion, where they can inspect the pink combat shoe designed for the team's exclusive use.
Presentation suits of the other adidas-sponsored national teams are also on display, while a spiral cinema dazzles visitors with the company's latest Olympic ad campaign.
"Green" also seems to be a theme for most pavilions as Beijing promotes a "green Olympics", giving the companies a chance to stress the eco-friendly attributes of their products. GE's pavilion in particular educates visitors on energy conservation with information and hi-tech devices worthy of a science museum.
Coca-Cola offers an interesting exhibition on the 80-year partnership between Coca-Cola and the Olympics, filling a hall with man-size Coke bottles decked in designs representing the 30 provinces and regions of China, including a Hong Kong one covered in Cheung Chau festive buns. All visitors are rewarded with a bottle of icy Coke as they exit.
There are Kodak moments aplenty at the film processor's pavilion. Visitors can compile their digital photos into a special Fuwa photo album, or pose on a medal podium for a few brief moments of star glory.
Over at the Omega pavilion, designers went for a more timeless feel. The showroom displays the clockmaker's earliest timepieces which have clocked competitors in the Olympics. If you have a spare 100,000 yuan (HK$113,890) you can buy a watch of your own.
Sports fan Yuan Fei, 28, said he was a little disappointed that pavilions were so commercialised.
"For example, these torches from previous Olympics are very interesting. But then you have the mobile models displayed right next to them," Mr Yuan said.
Others enjoyed the eclectic combination of elements and said they were surprised to find so much on offer while they wait between Games.
Indeed, even six terracotta warriors brought all the way from Xian can be found in the simple and elegant gallery-like pavilion of Johnson and Johnson, which sponsored the preservation of these warriors.
The Olympic Green was originally only open to Olympic ticket holders, but since journalists asked why the huge park was empty, organisers have relaxed the rule.
And with the track and field events now under way at the 90,000-seat Bird's Nest, be prepared to queue in the heat.
Entry to most pavilions requires an average 20-minute wait, and up to an hour's wait is often required at the Superstore, the biggest Olympic souvenir store in the country.
American tourist Corrie Cataldi said she really enjoyed the park although there appeared to be lots of empty space.
"It would be nice to have more shaded grass patches with big screens and benches for rest," she said, waiting for a tennis match.
Australian tourist Vija Hood suggested that there could be more hop-on-and-off golf-cart services made available to people other than the elderly and children.
Some sponsors did not need a pavilion to make their presence felt.
McDonald's is the only catering sponsor partner of the Olympics and the only choice for hungry visitors to the Green, apart from snack stalls selling Coca-Cola and crackers. And for those who run out of cash on the Green, there is a gentle reminder to take your Visa card for purchases or to make ATM withdrawals.
Some shoppers have been forced to return trays of souvenirs because they did not come equipped with the required little plastic card.
At the northern end of the Green are 30 small pavilions known as the "China Story Houses", which showcase cultural arts and crafts and performances from each province and region of the country. The display is amateur but highlights, like Sichuan's "face-changing" show, and the opportunity to meet people from various ethnic groups should satisfy the first-time visitor to China.
Or watch the twice-daily fuwa parade where performers bring the five mascots to life in song and dance.