Romania’s “Perfect 10” in gymnastics, to speak at Cannes Lions

Nadia Comaneci, or Nadia – the way the whole world knows her – achieved the perfect 10 at Montreal Olympics in 1976, when she was just 14 years old. At the end of that year’s Olympic Games, she had a portfolio that included seven perfect 10s, three gold medals, one bronze, one silver and countless fans.  She appeared on the covers of TIME, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated – all in the same week – and returned home to Romania as a national heroine.

Later on, in 1980, also in Olympics, but this time in Moscow, she got two more gold medals and two silver to bring her Olympic total to nine medals – five gold, three silver and one bronze. In 1996, she was included in International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Married with American Olympic Champion Bart Conner in 1996, she is now dividing her time among appearances, commercial endorsements for major companies, speaking engagements and charity events. In 1999, she was honored by ABC News and Ladies’ Home Journal as one of the 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century.

This year,  during London Olympics, Nadia is also one of the Romanian Olympic champions that will borrow their names to London Underground’s stations, along with Ivan Patzaichin, Georgeta Damian, Iolanda Balas and Elisabeta Lipa. Nadia’s Underground station for 2012 Olympics is Kings Cross St. Pancrass.

Nadia is invited as speaker at Cannes Lions 2012 at the Visa & TBWA seminar, “The Making of a Global Olympics Marketing Campaign – Right Approach, Right Message, Right Time”, that will take place on June 18th.

For quarter of a century, Visa has stood out against a crowded market of global sponsors to solidify its place within the Olympic movement as a leading and innovative marketer. Leveraging its rich legacy and an innovative new approach to marketing that’s turned long-held best practices on their head, Visa will once again roll out a global Olympic-themed marketing campaign – “Go World” – to more than 35 countries around the world ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

During the session, speakers will take the audience through the rationale, strategy and planning cycle of creating a global Olympic Games marketing campaign.

The other speakers of the seminary are Antonio Lucio, Global Chief Marketing, Strategy and Corporate Development Officer Visa, Patrick O’Neill, Executive Creative Officer TBWAChiatDay Los Angeles and Timo Lumme, Managing Director IOC Television & Marketing Services.

59th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity takes place on 17-23 June 2012.  Cannes Lions is the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communications. Founded in 1954, the Festival takes place every June in Cannes, France.