Amidst the controversy surrounding anti-gay laws in Russia, Channel 4 has launched Gay Mountain, a tongue-in-cheek promo celebrating the start of the Winter Olympics which kicked off on Friday (7 February) in the resort city of Sochi.
 

Produced by the award-winning 4Creative team (responsible for last year’s unforgettable Paralympics promo), the 90-second spot made its debut on Friday and features a male cabaret act singing a celebratory song, Gay Mountain, honouring all the athletes competing in Sochi – regardless of their sexuality.

The TV trail opens with a Soviet man singing a serious Russian anthem in a drab hall. Suddenly a rainbow of lights appear from behind a curtain as the singer’s coat is removed by a troupe of female backing dancers, revealing he’s wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy shorts. He then launches into the jovial song, which include the lines: “Be fabulous, be free; we honour our Queens; and follow the rainbow which leads to the east”.

It was directed by Alice Tonge, who started out as a graphic designer before entering the world of communications and advertising.

Channel 4 has also rebranded its logo in rainbow colours to support the beginning of the Olympic Games.