The 2010 Winter Olympics begin this weekend in Vancouver, Canada. The games will dominate the NBC programming for the next few days.

Here’s a pretty cool ad promoting the coverage of the games.

Which advertisers will be the big winners of this year’s Olympic Games? Here’s a feel good spot from Procter & Gamble. I like the strategy they took in this spot by thanking Team USA’s moms.

I ran across some of the most compelling images today from the 2008 Summer Olympics. These are the type of photographs that inspire me to be a better photographer and realize just how powerful capturing the right image can be. Check out larger versions and several more of these type of photos on the Boston Globe Picture page.

Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing.
(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest”, on August 8, 2008. The three-hour show at Beijing’s iconic national stadium was set to see more than 15,000 performers showcase the nation’s ancient history and its rise as a modern power. (AFP PHOTO / Olivier Morin)

There are some pretty cool little magnets and other characters available on the NBC store. It’s great to see less cheesy stuff being put out for memorabilia. Check out this lil’ Beijing YingYing Mascot Magnet. “As an official Olympic mascot representing the yellow Olympic ring, Ying Ying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China’s landscape, YingYing, the antelope, carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Quick-witted and agile, YingYing is strong in track and field events.”
Are you a fan of the Summer Olympics? I find myself watching it often and NBC is doing a great job of telling the athlete stories and drawing people in to watch these incredible competitors.