Previous winners have included Abba, Celine Dion, Lordi and Conchita Wurst. Despite their victories (Abba apart), there is no sure sign of quality when it comes to being crowned the top tune, with few songs really breaking through to become memorable classics over the years.
The most famous aspect of the competition features the lengthy voting in which each nation has a representative call into the live ceremony to reveal their country’s scores for their favorite songs between 1 – 12 points. They are not allowed to give points to their own entries.
Celebrating Ukrainian culture
U.K. agency Superunion and Ukrainian creative studio Starlight Creative collaborated to bring this year’s Eurovision to life for the public through a new visual identity and slogan, “United by Music,” both of which represent the special partnership between the U.K., host city Liverpool and Ukraine. The colors are inspired by the Ukrainian and U.K. flags, while the typeface used is named “Penny Lane” as a nod to Liverpool’s musical heritage.
They chose a symbol of hearts to represent “the idea of 160 million heartbeats beating as one–reflecting the power of music to unite audiences but also the unity between Ukraine and the U.K.,” said Stuart Radford, executive creative director at Superunion. “It was really important we reflect how special and rare this situation is between Ukraine and the U.K.” The symbol of the heartbeat and bringing people together through music also has resonance in Ukraine, he added.
Crucially, the team wanted Eurovision to capture “the joy and fun” of Ukrainian culture and its connection to the world, rather than the current war and tragedy, said Starlight Creative chief executive Martynova Olena.
“It’s important to Ukraine to be part of global and European culture. After our victory, life will go on,” she said. “Ukraine now is about energy and optimism. It’s important for us to take part in culture in a positive way.”
The marketing prospects
“Like most big events, Eurovision is a commercial machine. Indeed, a considerable part of its funding comes from sponsorship, helping ensure it remains some of the best value programming for broadcasters across the continent,” explained Jerry Daykin, vp head of media for Beam Suntory and self-confessed Eurovision fanatic.
This will be the third year that Moroccanoil has held the post of Presenting Partner for the competition, which sees it host a Social Hub hosting behind-the-scenes content. This year is is activating the partnership by asking users to take part in the “Show Us Your Style” competition, scoring videos posted by fans via social media.
