| Abstract: |
As Beijing became the first city in history to successfully host both Summer
and Winter Olympic Games, this paper looks into the different visualizations
of the two Olympics opening ceremonies in 2008 and 2022. By incorporating the
concept of Nation Branding, it features a comparative case study to discuss
how China has understood and branded the country through detailed and
well-rehearsed artistic presentations in these events. The case study mainly
focuses on three layers: role conception, role perception / the formation of
brands, and finally the presentation of strategically designed brands. Each
layer of comparison answers a specific question, and their combination in turn
answers how the difference in artistic presentation may connect with the
shifting Chinese nation branding strategies. The result of this paper suggests
that the presentations in 2008 and 2022 Olympics opening ceremonies, as the
focus shifted from "country and heroism" to "people and togetherness, "
generally stood in line with the nation branding strategies performed by the
Chinese government throughout this 14-year span. |