From Olympic athletes' vlogs to the new Transport for London campaign here is our pick of the latest in video communications. For more updates about #CommunicateLens, follow @Communicatemag on Twitter.

Adidas 

Adidas launched a new, one-minute video ‘Ready for Sport Final Anthem,’ an ode to sport and a celebration of its comeback after the Covid-19 lockdown. ‘Sport might not be the answer right now, but it teaches us this: that impossible challenges must be faced and overcome, and the reward is joy,’ says the narrator Siya Kolisi, the first black man to be appointed as Test captain of the South African rugby team. His steady narration, paired with the dynamic clips showing top athletes playing different sports, from boxing to ice-skating, conveys the power of sport, and the role it can play in motivating people to take on challenges and work together. It unites communities across the world through a montage of raw emotion and moments of exhilaration experienced by leading global athletes. The video embodies the brand’s belief that sports has the power to change lives.

Genting Hotel- Resorts World Birmingham

Hotel chain Genting Hotel- Resorts World Birmingham worked with Gloucester- based wedding videographer agency Too Moo Films to create a video showing guests the revised check in and cleaning measures before reopening. In a four hour film-shoot, the team at Too Moo Films recorded footage demonstrating the Covid-19 special distancing and cleaning methods adopted in the resort. The video follows a guest through as he checks-in while the narrator highlights all the new measures put in place: floor marks so guests can queue apart from one another, visors for receptionists, round the clock cleaning for public areas, table service rather than buffet breakfast.  Using a video to convey the new features allows for the audience, and potential guests, to truly understand what awaits them if they decide to stay in the resort. It makes the audience trust that the staff is acting according to appropriate norms. The narrator’s soothing voice conveys a sense of peace and serenity to future guests, to show that although the hotel sector has been particularly hit by the crisis, it is possible to create a ‘new normal’ and get back in business

Peters & Falla

Peters & Falla dry cleaning company based in Fulham, London worked with video marketing agency Digital Leopard to produce a one-and-a-half minute video to celebrate what they do and highlight the company’s loyalty to their customers. As the director of Digital Leopard points out, the use of video in this case is able to clearly portray not only what the company does but also the ethos behind the brand. The video alternates clips of Peters & Falla employees sowing, ironing and dry cleaning clothing with their testimonials that emphasise the company’s friendly and welcoming culture. ‘The reason we have customers coming in every week with the garment is the trust they have in us, in the service we provide,’ explains a staff member to the camera, while another, agreeing, says the customers call all the staff by their first names.

Team GB

In the new video from the UK’s Olympic team Team GB, British swimmer Alys Thomas shares her first vlog, detailing her training during lockdown and her return to training in pools as they begin reopening in Wales. The video is candid, a window into Alys life; the audience witnesses the life of a down-to-earth girl, one who’s life was put on hold by the pandemic, just like everyone else. Alys shares feeling frustrated , and upset as her normal routine disappeared, and the Olympics were cancelled soon after, something the audience can easily relate to. Alys Thomas’ vlog is just the latest of a series of videos posted on the Team GB, which has turned to video communications during lockdown as a means to celebrate the athletes that were unable to play, and relive through them the highlights of the team’s past. The videos help keep the fandom alive and offer it a glimpse into their favourite’s athletes lives, conveying the message that while the Olympics may have been put at a standstill now, sportsmen keep going and training for their fans.

Transport for London

Transport for London (TFL) worked with international communications agency VCCP to create a new video ‘Now’s the Time,’ a 30-second video urging Londoners to choose walking or cycling over the bus, underground and over ground. The video shows people enjoying their commute as they walk or cycle around the city, while the voiceover says, ‘now is the time a different way, now’s the time to unwind on the way home from work.’ With lockdown gradually lifting and some Londoners returning to work in the office, TFL is encouraging commuters to travel during quite times, avoiding rush hours, or to find new means, like using existing cycling routes. The video encourages Londoners to use TFL’s new ‘Streespace for London’ plan, designed to help commuters walk and cycle by introducing new temporary walking and cycling infrastructure, pointing out the physical and mental benefits of using physical activity to commute.

“We wanted to capitalise on the current positive shift in attitudes towards walking and cycling. But we knew there was a limited window of opportunity as the lockdown began to ease. So we had to be fast to market, which meant moving away from traditional production methods,” explains Simon Learman, creative director of VCCP. “Our approach with TfL was to create a ‘movement’, landed through a clear yet compelling narrative: Bike it. Walk. Let’s make every journey matter. This was supported through inspirational, relatable and inclusive visuals.”