What makes a superhero? This question, pondered by nearly every child, is the concept behind a new promo for NBC Olympics' coverage of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. NBC tapped 2C Media to develop the idea—one of several pitched to the network—and then work its signature motion design magic to capture that childlike wonder uniquely elicited by Olympic competition.

Watching a massive worldwide event like the Winter Olympics, you get a feeling you won’t experience in any other context, from the astounding athletic ability and international spectacle to the uniqueness of sports you don’t always see day-to-day. This is a once-in-every-four-years event. 2C's challenge was to translate that feeling into a unique, yet instantly relatable promo using story, motion design and editing.

Beginning with already awe-inspiring clips of top athletes in action, the Miami-based creative hot shop went right to work, building out its concept with graphics designed to play up the seemingly superhero qualities of Olympians …sheer speed, strength, heights reached, even to the point of having unseen wings. A tremendous undertaking, each of the graphics-enhanced scenes was rotoscoped, often by hand, a process involving multiple people and an average four days of manpower. The script, a true collaboration between NBC and 2C Media, was brought to life through an evocative, powerful voiceover by actor Giancarlo Esposito (“Revolution,” “Breaking Bad”).