What's in a name? Eurovision slogans through the years
30 January 2017 at 20:23 CETIt all started back in 2002 when Estonia hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Tallinn. Eesti Televisioon, the Host Broadcaster that year, opted for A Modern Fairytale which, according to the show producers, encapsulated Estonia's recent history. The theme was reflected in the postcards broadcast between each song and gave the 2002 contest its own identity. Latvia's hosted a Rendezvous in Riga the following year and in 2004 the Eurovision heart was born.
Istanbul hosted the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest which also saw a semi-final take place for the first time. The theme that year was Under The Same Sky which was a message of unity from Turkey to the rest of Europe. Ukraine's Ruslana won the 49th edition of the contest with Wild Dances and went on to play a pivotal role on the Orange Revolution which followed.
The 2005 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Kyiv, Ukraine and came after months of political unrest in the country. The Ukrainian entry that year, Razom nas bahato, performed by GreenJolly, was originally an anthem of the Orange Revolution. The theme chosen by Ukraine was Awakening, which reflected the wider developments going on in the country.
Greece was in the mood to party when they hosted in 2006 and this was reflected in the slogan, Feel The Rhythm. The 2006 Eurovision Song Contest came just two years after Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in spectacular fashion. Finland's Lordi lifted the trophy with Hard Rock Hallelujah taking the contest to Helsinki in 2007 for the first time where the slogan of choice was True Fantasy.
Belgrade played host to the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. The theme artwork and slogan, Confluence of Sound, reflected the music of the contest as well as the geography of the city, on the confluence of two rivers; the Sava and the Danube. Whilst Russia did produce theme artwork for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, a representation of a bird, there was no slogan when the contest was staged in Moscow.
Norway invited us to Share The Moment in Oslo in 2010 and the interval that year, a flashmob, saw crowds across Europe dancing in unison. The broadcast also featured webcam footage of people performing the same flashmob inside their own living rooms.
The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest took place in Düsseldorf, Germany with the slogan Feel Your Heart Beat. Each participating country was introduced by a member of the public from that particular country before a large beating heart in national colours appeared on-screen.
In 2012 the Eurovision Song Contest travelled to its most easterly destination ever, Baku, capital city of Azerbaijan. The country had been marketed as The Land of Fire and the slogan for the contest, Light Your Fire, reflected this.
Following Loreen's win for Sweden in 2012, the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest took place in Malmö. The theme artwork was that of a butterfly and the slogan was We Are One which highlighted equality and unity between all participating countries.
Denmark's national broadcaster, DR, opted for a modern slogan in 2014, #JoinUs, which was not only an invitation to the audience but also reflected the wider integration between broadcasting and social media.
In Vienna in 2015, social media was an integral part of the broadcast with the implementation of so-called hashflags. This feature allowed viewers to make specific reference to each national performance on Twitter. The generic heart logo was refreshed in 2015 and the theme, Building Bridges, promoted music as a force for unity, where political differences between countries are set aside.
In 2016 the theme was Come Together and the theme artwork, inspired by the dandelion, symbolised the power of resistance and resilience but also of regeneration. When the seeds of a dandelion fly away new life is created where they touch down.
Martin Österdahl, Executive Producer of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest explained that the message of unity was one of the reasons behind the slogan: "We believe that the idea of unity is as important today as it was in the 1950s when the Eurovision Song Contest started. The Eurovision Song Contest is never about borders, politics or ideologies. It is about reaching across all the boundaries that separates us human beings from each other".
Celebrate Diversity is the central message for this year’s event and is complimented by a creative logo design based around a traditional Ukrainian bead necklace known as Namysto. More than just a piece of jewellery, Namysto is a protective amulet and a symbol of beauty and health. It is made up of many different beads, each with its own design and celebrates both diversity and individuality.