One of the things about living in a city that is hosting a global event like the Olympics is the effect that it has on everyone – from the public, media and of course brand owners. We experienced it last month with the Diamond Jubilee when the nation went in celebration mode. While I was walking through Westfield Stratford a couple of months back I was struck by how many shops had taken on the Brit fever with lots of red, white and blue memorabilia in their shops. I was really impressed with how creative a lot of the shops have been in using the Union Jack as the centre point of their designs. River Island have the Union Jack flag included in a piece of art on a prop in their window display.John Lewis have gone with the Champagne Afternoon Tea theme that includes red, white and blue crockery, and Union Jack bunting. It’s not just the shops that are taking on the Olympic spirit but the tubes on the central line got in on the act too They decorated the tube for the Queen’s 60th Diamond Jubilee. There was a time when the Union Jack carried a lot of negative connotations but due to some clever rebranding ten years it is now a fashionable piece of fabric that is used with pride.

Here are some more pictures of Union Jack Fever.