Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and NYC2012 today launched a sweeping new advertising campaign that will blanket the City in anticipation of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission site visit.  The Evaluation Commission will be in New York from February 20th through February 24th to assess New York City’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.  The new advertising campaign includes television, print, outdoor, transit and online elements centering on the theme of “Let The Dreams Begin,” and illustrate the energy and excitement that an Olympic and Paralympic Games would have in New York. The colorful advertisements, all of which were donated to NYC2012, mark the final advertising push for the New York bid committee as it enters the final stretch of the City’s effort to host the 2012 Games. In addition to billboards, bus shelters, street pole banners, posters, radio, television and print ads, Olympic logos and signs will appear on all of New York’s 4,000 subway cars, 7,000 buses, and 13,000 taxicabs. Olympians Scott Donie (Diving: 1992 Silver, 1996) and Gail Marquis (Basketball: 1976 Silver), and Paralympian Tahl Leibovitz (Table Tennis: 1996 Gold & Bronze, 2004 Bronze) joined the Mayor for the announcement on City Hall Plaza.

“New York City’s unique character is truly captured in this bold and creative advertising campaign,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We are home to people from every corner of the globe, and as the world’s most diverse city, we are an Olympic Village everyday.  So no matter what the sport is, no matter who is in the pool, in the ring, or on the field – they’ll be performing in front of a hometown crowd.  Our bid to host the 2012 Games is a marathon, not a sprint, and like any marathon, you’ve got to pass the mile markers along the way before you reach the finish line. For New York City, the next big marker comes later this month, when the IOC’s Evaluation Commission arrives for its four-day assessment.  Over those four days, we want to show the commission why New York City would be a spectacular place for the 2012 Games.  These ads, which can be seen in all five boroughs, bring to life the energy and spirit of an Olympic Games in New York, and a sense of excitement that is simply unparalleled any place else in the world.”

“These ads use powerful words to capture New York’s enthusiasm and allow people to imagine how a New York Games would feel,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding and NYC2012 Founder Daniel L. Doctoroff. “The breadth and depth of the ad campaign is extraordinary, and people will see the ads on taxi tops, on buses, on and in subway cars, at bus stops, in subway stations, in newspapers, on television, and on street poles.  We have carefully timed the launch of this campaign to coincide with the visit of the Evaluation Commission, and highlights for the IOC the power of the City to rally its marketing assets to showcase the Olympic spirit.”

“‘Every country gets home field advantage,’ ‘people will speak your language’ and ‘humanity will shine’ are a few of the copy lines for this advertising campaign which capture the spirit and feel of a Games in New York,” said NYC2012 Director of Marketing & Communications Amy Stanton. “We are grateful to the more than thirty companies and organizations that have donated these ads – another example of the extraordinary commitment to helping bring the 2012 Games to New York City.”

The International Olympic Committee’s 13-member Evaluation Commission will arrive in New York City on February 20th for a four day assessment of New York’s plan for the 2012 Olympic Games.  The same 13-member panel will visit all five bid cities, and New York is the third city they will visit after Madrid and London and before Paris and Moscow.  During their four-day stay in New York, they will participate in two days of intensive briefing with government officials, the leadership of the bid, and a vast array of experts about the 17 themes in the bid book which was submitted to the IOC in mid-November. They will also spend two days touring all potential venue sites.  NYC2012 is also offering a press tour and briefings for press during the visit.

An Olympic Games in New York would leave a powerful legacy that will restore New York’s connection to Olympic sports, creating new world-class venues, training centers for elite athletes and renovated fields for youth.  Additionally, the Games would spur the largest single investment in parks and recreational facilities in the City’s history and bring a regional economic impact of over $12 billion, creating over 135,000 jobs.  For more information, visit NYC2012’s official website at www.nyc2012.com.

New York is one of five Candidate Cities for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The other Candidate Cities are London, Madrid, Moscow and Paris. The IOC will select a Host City for the 2012 Games on July 6, 2005 in Singapore.

The following are the copy lines for the advertisements:

humanity will shine
peace is the dream
records will break
every flag will wave
there will be dancing in the streets
every neighborhood will celebrate
every country gets home field advantage
there’s room for everyone
athletes will lead the way
there will be friends and friends of friends to guide you
there will be no strangers
people will speak your language
we’re in an olympic state of mind
somebody will fall in love