A global information age has altered the conditions for the projection of soft power. Whose story wins is whose story sells; Whose story enables the environment for the working of soft power and attraction. Strategic communication generates such conditions. Strategic communication is the use of coordinated engagement efforts intended to influence the perceptions, attitudes, and ultimately behavior of target audiences in support of national objectives. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest the application of strategic communication within the opening ceremony of three individual Olympics: Berlin, 1936, Moscow, 1980, and Beijing, 2008. Through the promotion of Nazism and the showcase of German militarism, the Nazi Party utilized the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics to legitimize Germany. Through the demonstration of Soviet superiority and the promotion of international goodwill toward the Soviet Union, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union utilized the opening ceremony of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics to enhance Soviet international prestige. Through the showcase of Chinese civilization highlights, the promotion of the new age of China, and the forge of bonds between Chinese culture and the Olympic movement, the Communist Party of China utilized the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to reconstruct China’s national identity. The challenge of the Olympics is the national capitalization of an inherently political system at the expense of Olympism.
