My London Olympic Games 2012 - continued

A week or so on into the Olympic Games and I decided to focus on the commercial side a little...

It all started by reading an article dedicated to the official tableware for the occasion. Designed by Nick Munro, this silver-plated metalware was inspired by a poster from the 1948 Olympics depicting a man throwing the discus. John Lewis then enthusiastically picked the idea and made sure to use purely British manufactures to produce this rather stylish and certainly unique design. I used the word 'unique' since there is a limited edition of each of the pieces: the teapot and sugar & milk set are both the edition of 200, their gold-plated version is the edition of only 20, the salad tongs (not pictured) are of 500 and the spoons are unlimited.

It is the spoons that I find quite witty; their handles are shaped to demonstrate the long jump, javelin, archery and weightlifting.

Those who are looking for commemorative souvenirs might appreciate the engraving reading 'Games of the XXX Olympiad' on the discus-shaped items and the Olympic logo that is stamped on the bottom of each piece might make this collectable items. And so, after reading this article, no wonder that my curiosity kept nagging. I decided to go to John Lewis, that offers the Games official merchandise, and see it all for myself.

Approaching the store, I must say I did not recognise it. The building was all covered by this pink, blue and white sheet, keeping to the colours of the Olympic logo, leaving only the name visible. Yes, I would say that John Lewis is playing its part well.

Making my way from the basement to the top I was bombarded by olympic-themed items. Mugs, badges, towels, bed linen, luggage, perfumes, toys, all scattered among all the usual items. The topping waited for me on the fifth floor where a whole section is dedicated to only the olympic-themed merchandise; this was the busiest place of the store adding clothes, bags, key-rings and other items to the lines. Among all this madness I found what I came for, the Nick Munro's stylish silverware placed in a glass cabinet. To be honest, I did not expect to be able to touch it (the spoons cost £20 each, the silver-plated teapot £200 to give you an idea). I only wanted to see it with my own eyes. And it is as delicate and classy as on the image.

What I also noticed was the packaging made out of recycled and recyclable and biodegradable card. When you read into the design you realise that there is more to it. It is all produced in England (Sheffield and around to be precise) from the initial idea, through casting and polishing, to packaging and promotion. I would say that this is a fitting approach to a design for the Olympic Games 2012 in London. Kx