BBC Sport

Solution

London Olympics Hard Set Graphics

For the London 2012 Olympics, Trigger created a magnetic scoreboard in the form of Big Ben, featuring a totalizer arrow to track Team GB’s medal count. This was complemented by three giant Olympic medal boards, where the faces of British athletes were added in real time to celebrate their victories. These hard set elements were used on the BBC’s ‘Olympics Tonight’ show, hosted by Gabby Logan, providing a dynamic and interactive feature for recapping the day’s events.

European Athletics Championships TV Studio Set

Building on this success, BBC Sport commissioned Trigger again for the European Athletics Championships in Zürich 2014. Inspired by the event’s mascot, Cooly the Cow, we designed a set of three magnetic medal scoreboards, each featuring an illustrated version of Cooly wearing gold, silver, and bronze medals. These boards allowed presenters to track medal wins live on air, with athlete images that could be moved around throughout the event. To enhance audience engagement, a cowbell was rung in the studio each time a medal was won, adding a playful and celebratory touch to the coverage.

IAAF World Championships Beijing Hard Set Design

For the IAAF World Championships in Beijing 2015, we created a large-scale hard set piece based on the event’s mascot, Yaner the Swallow. Yaner was illustrated at an oversized scale, holding each of the medals under his wing. The centre of the design featured an interactive gong, used on the BBC’s highlights show to celebrate British medal wins. Additionally, a second magnetic scoreboard called ‘Michael’s Golden Gong’ was created for presenter Michael Johnson, providing a unique way to highlight key athletes in the championships.

Each of these projects required expert illustration, set construction, and innovative design solutions, ensuring the hard set elements were visually striking, practical for live broadcasting, and seamlessly integrated into the studio environment.