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09 May 2012

London 2012 Sporting Icons & Line Burst - Review

Full Disclosure: Filofax have sent Philofaxy these samples to review free of charge, we did not pay for them. However we have not let this 'free gift' influence our review of their products.

The London 2012 are now less than 100 days before they start. With large events like this planning where you are going to be to see which events, be it at the event or on TV requires something and what better than a Filofax to help you enjoy the events that only happen once every 4 years.

Filofax are one of the London 2012 merchandise suppliers, they all have to be authorised by the London 2012 Olympics organisation.

The organiser it self isn't that posh, but it's rugged enough and reasonably well made. Similar to the Domino I suppose. The Sporting Icons organiser features full height pockets in the front and pack covers with colourful sporting icons covering the internal lining. The closure is an elasticated and features 'London 2012' on it.


I was more interested in the inserts that Filofax have developed for these organisers. Whilst some of the pages will be familiar to you. The business part of this organiser have been adapted and customised to suit the purpose.


The diary insert for instance is a Week Per View, but in the style of a Week Per Page on the left hand side and notes and tasks on the right hand side. At the foot of the pages are notes and facts about the Olympics including a count down to the events.


Then during the games themselves the diary changes to a day per page format, so you have plenty of room to record your memories of the games or the events that particularly interest you.


The diary then swaps back again to the Week View format after the games. It's quite a clever idea and shows how flexible a Filofax diary can be and how it can adapt to the needs of the user.


In addition to the diary there are a lot of information sheets. A page for each of the Olympic sports with details of dates and history of the events and other key facts. There is also a 'Jargon Buster' section on each sport, and at the foot of each of these pages is a 'Getting Involved' section.


The ParaOlympic games are also covered and the events for this section of the London 2012 games are also covered in the same depth.


There are then some fitness planner pages for people that like to take part in sport, not just watch it.


There is then a fold out planner showing the dates of the events and there are also a set of maps and other information pages about the history of the Olympic games


These include maps of Olympic park, a London transport map, and events map.


There are also some colourful notes pages, which you can move to other parts of the organiser of course.


The dividers are quite interesting too. Shown together here, they are labelled Plan, Play, Events, and My Events


There's two pages of stickers too!! I know a lot of you that like stickers...


The Today marker is also a unique design with key places in London included on a frosted marker.


The Lime Burst editions shown here in Pocket size are also available in Personal size too.

The pocket size organisers feature the same inserts but they have been scaled down to fit the pocket size. Like the Sporting Icons organiser, the Lime Burst editions feature elasticated pen loops.


Here is the Filofax video that shows full range of London 2012 organisers. You can buy them here

 
 
Again thank you to Filofax UK and SlamPR for providing us with samples of these organisers for us to review.

This review doesn't end here though..... visit Philofaxy tomorrow to find out how you can win one of these London 2012 organisers. 

21 comments:

  1. Good review! It's nice that they've done different inserts for this planner. You can buy them for a song in Staples at the moment! There's a link on my blog post here:

    http://allthingsstationery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/bargain-filofaxes-filofax-diaries-what.html

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    1. That's a silly low price isn't it.

      Anyway we have 6 of them as prizes to give away tomorrow...

      Steve

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    2. Wow, exciting! Free is much better than a bargain!

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  2. Thanks Steve - I think these are great organisers to give to young people who are excited about the games - and of course it can develop into an interest in organisers once the games are over. I wouldn't buy one for myself, but I think the inserts are very well thoughtout.

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  3. I wouldn't buy the filofax, but I *love* the today marker! What a shame they don't sell them individually (and in A5 size!)

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    1. I agree, the marker's the only thing I like, mind you I'm biased because I think these Olympics might be as financially ruinous to us as they were to Greece... which is too off-topic to go into!

      I made a plain marker out of some flexi-plastic the other day for my Personal, maybe you could do something with the outline of the London skyline (or NYC, or anywhere else distinctive) in paper printed both sides, affix it with clear covering film to some flexible punchable clear plastic, and have your own version?

      I might try something along those lines, because the design above does look pretty darned tasty...

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  4. I hadn't realised they had special inserts in. I'm interested now, for Olympic learning and planning of viewing with my little boy. Hmmm....
    Shame the inserts aren't available separately.

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  5. "...a cheap ring mechanism that can be then fashioned into an organiser of custom design."

    Please, anyone doing this, call it FrankenFax!!

    Seriously, this is something I've wondered about doing, and never really explored... might have a search online, thanks for the reminder!

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    1. I've recently seen a lot of craft ideas that use duct tape as the primary building material. And with the tape now available in colors and patterns, I might just have to see if I have a damaged binder I can canibalize for the rings.

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  6. Thanks for a great review, Steve.
    I agree it's a shame that you can't buy the inserts & today marker separately. I do like them & am glad Filofax have decided to create something a bit different. Think they could make quite a good rugged binder for going travelling with, or when you just want to chuck one in your bag & not worry about it getting bashed.

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  7. Already got the date of the Olympic Torch coming to our area firmly written into ye olde Filofax. Quite excited about that!! Shame you can't buy the page markers and stickers separately though. Love those bits and the sports design icons on the front cover.

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  8. I bought one of these in pink, personal sized, they are lovely only problem mine had gaps in first two rings and the page marker wouldn't move around the rings, maybe I was just unlucky but didn't want to risk a replacement!!

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  9. I bought one of these at Staples. I will use the filo for storage and have put the marker in my Malden. I had to repunch it though as mine didn't move around the rings either. I have put some of the sheets in my holiday filo as we will be away for some of the events and it will be good to keep track. My daughter and I love athletics in particular and someone from her athletics club may well be competing. Indulgent to buy it just for that but it made me happy and cost less than the pints my husband has when he goes out so feel justified in a twisted way!

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    1. They're an incredible bargain at that price and you won't be able to change your mind and buy one in 18 month's time, so it'a not really that indulgent, especially if you're genuinely interested in sport and athletics!

      I've not travelled much, but on a couple of major trips abroad I tried to be "sensible" and not buy that many souvenirs, I regret it like crazy now of course because they're just not available in London! Anything with a limited time span, carpe the diem, y'know... you'll at best end up having to patrol e-Bay, at worst kick yourself and never find it again - I say stock up while you can!

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  10. I have been wanting to buy one for quite some time, but I still can't get any answers about whether or not as a Canadian I would have to pay duties on a shipment from the UK. Hopefully I will be able to get one soon...before they disappear. But I do have to agree with some of you. I wish they just sold the inserts.

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    1. Steph, if you like I will order one and post to you in Canada. Generally I think duty is charged if the item is over a certain amount. Your local post office would know the amount.

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    2. Step, have you tried contacting the Canadian postal service, or customs, and Filofax UK? They have an international number on their website, and e-mail contact forms as well, and you can't be the first Canadian ever to buy off them, so they might have some idea. Same with Staples as well of course.

      I don't know anything about Canadian shipment but I generally find if you shake enough trees, so to speak, you usually get some useful info eventually - so don't give up! :)

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  11. Interesting. While I watch the Olympics, I'm not a huge follower of all the sports and athletes. However, if I was I might be tempted to buy this just for the inserts. What a great specialty binder (minus the quality factor, as it does look more like "pleather" than leather).

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  12. Steph, a google search has found the following info. Hope it helps. http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

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  13. Whatever one's views regarding the Olympics, this is a fantastic application. If my children were younger, or my grandchildren older, I would have used this product to make their trip to London more involving, by cramming it with additional material specific to the events they would be watching. Incidentally, you can use the same idea for other trips too, by using something like a pocket Domino. Start 'em young, that's what I say.

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