#GameChangers shaping their own YOG experience
It’s not just on the field of play that the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Buenos Aires 2018 are changing the game. Off the field, the IOC, Olympic Channel and local organisers together are providing the athletes with the tools and support that allow them to create compelling personalised content to share with their friends, family and fans across the globe.
“Our time, our Games.”
In Buenos Aires, the athletes not only get the chance to shine on the world stage, but are encouraged to take ownership of their YOG experience through digital media. Through workshops with digital experts and interaction with influencers, they are learning how to create dynamic and engaging content for their social media profiles.
As part of the #GameChangers campaign, the athletes can access a digital sticker pack on Instagram and Snapchat, created especially for them to celebrate their achievements at the YOG. The heartbeat of this campaign is the Game Changers Hub in the Youth Olympic Village, where teams from the Olympic Channel and Olympic Broadcasting Services are showing athletes how to shoot video and use digital tools, and helping to ‘supercharge’ videos of them training or competing. By downloading the ‘YOG Capture’ app, athletes can send their videos in to the Hub and get a supercharged version sent back to them to share with the world, like this awesome example of sport climbers Natalia Kaluka (Poland) and Laura Rogora (Italy).
The Game Changers Hub has been a hive of activity this YOG, with athletes, influencers and other star names, such as Tony Hawk and Chad Le Clos, all swinging by, while a GIF station operated by Google Tenor has been set up right outside. Here, athletes are invited to jump into action for five-seconds, which is then turned into an animated GIF ready to share on social media.
Meanwhile, offering social media advice to the young athletes and helping to broadcast their epic achievements to the world are a number of social media influencers, who have been creating content of their own around the four parks and the Village.
British social media superstars Max & Harvey were up first, dancing the night away at an unforgettable Opening Ceremony, before pro scooter rider Antoine (check out his ‘scoot2street’ channel on YouTube) wowed audiences at the Urban Park with his tricks. Today, American dance sensation Kaelynn “KK” Harris was a popular sight at the breaking mixed team event, and over the next week, more influencers – including freestyle footballer Lisa Zimouche – will be taking their fans with them on their own YOG journeys through Instagram Stories.
All the while, the live coverage of the YOG is coming direct from the Olympic Channel, including a ‘YOG daily’ live show from the Youth Olympic Village, a podcast and heaps of extra content via video on demand. This makes Buenos Aires 2018 the first truly ‘digital-first’ Games – and with a week still go in the YOG, the #GameChangers are only just getting started.