Gymnastic Rings Performance

Gymnastic and Olympic Performance On Rings As Business Metaphor

This photograph of a businessman, performing on the rings, calls to mind Olympic efforts and is a perfect symbol and metaphor for many concepts ranging from dedication and practice to skill and determination. The businessman is wearing a suit as he performs the iron cross with a gigantic crowd watching. This is a photo of performance under pressure, of precision and strength and of intense focus. By having the gymnast wear a business suit we created an image that is a quick read as a business image. Heck, the guy is even wearing wing-tips! BTW, after the shoot we had to buy him a new suit. He was actually performing gymnastic routines in the suit which, in the process, sustained quite a few rips. Oh well!

Creating A Business Concept Image Of A Gymnastic Rings Competition

By including a crowd we highlight the idea of competition...and of pressure and scrutiny. By including a suit we emphasize the business nature of the message whether it be advertising or editorial in nature. By using the Rings and gymnastics we highlight the skill, dedication and intensity of effort required. The man''s perfect form shows success, and the fact that it is an olympic event brings it to the highest levels of accomplishment and effort. By having the gymnast/businessman off center we provide a dynamic composition that can be cropped square, horizontal or vertical and offers plenty of room for headlines, masthead and copy space. The fact that the crowd is out of focus eliminates model release problems and focuses our attention on the action.

Olympic Rings

While this image may not be directly related to Olympic rings, it certainly is an association that is a given and helps add impact to our visual message. I mean, when else do we watch performances on the gymnastic rings except during the Olympics? In this image, as the gymnast performs his iron cross, the sense of tension is palpable. It pulls us in and compels us to read the copy. There is also a sense of dimensionality that further adds to the power of the image. This is a photograph of achievement, of success, and of doing whatever it takes to reach the goal. This is a photograph of a businessman rising to the challenge and overcoming adversity to reach the highest pinnacles of success.