Cogent breathes life into the Olympic Godiva

16th March 2012

With less than six months to go to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, Cogent Elliott has helped to begin the countdown with the creation of a stunning work of art to launch the West Midland's 'Godiva Awakes' project.

As part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Cogent has been working in partnership with Coventry based Imagineer Productions since June 2011 on a voluntary level to support the project. The agency was briefed to develop a striking visual identity for 'Godiva Awakes'.

The agency also created the strapline 'an extraordinary journey' to support the project.

Cogent's creative team, led by Creative Director Richard Payne and creative Emma Vaughan designed the Godiva Awakes identity, which features a teasing silhouette of the Anglo-Saxon noble woman Lady Godiva and is surrounded by various representations of the diverse industries of the West Midlands past, present and future, which lie at the heart of the project.

Diane Burdett, Cogent's Commercial Director said: "We're delighted to be supporting Imagineer on this unique and creative project that will be the Olympic centrepiece for the West Midland region. Our creative teams have worked hard to encapsulate the true spirit of Godiva and what she represents here in the Midlands. The stunning visual has been a labour of love with our teams executing the highest level of planning, creativity and genuine passion for the project to deliver this stunning visual identity."

The Godiva Awakes project is being developed by Imagineer Productions; their Godiva will awake to a spectacular performance involving dancers, actors, musicians, fireworks and much more on 28th July 2012. Powered by 100 cyclists and clothed in a coat crafted by artists from across the West Midlands, Godiva will then journey from Coventry to London to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Godiva herself is a spectacular ten metre high large scale-puppet which has been constructed out of lightweight materials. Godiva will be operated by a team of puppeteers, and her movement and expressions will be achieved through a combination of traditional puppetry and modern animation techniques.

Jane Hytch, Director Imagineer Productions said: "The beautiful brand image presented by Cogent has encapsulated the project perfectly and has been a spring board for our own creative thinking about how we spread the word about our project. Our full team were bowled over by the image on first sight. To be able to work alongside such an established and successful agency has been a real opportunity for Imagineer, the contribution of Cogent's skills and resources has really helped us to bring our vision alive."

The Godiva Awakes brand identity will now provide the launch platform to introduce everyone to Godiva before she is officially unveiled in Coventry on 28th July. The creative will be used across a range of materials including print flyers, banners, posters, adverts, point-of-sale and a variety of official merchandise in the build-up to the launch.