This year at wiwibloggs we are celebrating the festive season with a series of different polls. For the next few days, we’re going to stuff your stockings with a selection of end-of-decade Eurovision votes. Consider this a unique riff on the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you can join us and let us know your thoughts for each and every poll.
Eurovision Postcards: 2010 to 2019
Postcards were first introduced to the contest 50 years ago as a way to kill time between acts changing over on stage. Since then, they’ve become an integral part of Eurovision. Every host spends a lot of time and budget developing a concept which usually mirrors the theme of that year’s contest.
During the 2010s, postcards moved in a new direction. The focus has moved from solely promoting the host country, and now the artists are incorporated. Of course, the top local sights and cultural activities usually feature prominently too. This gives the audience an opportunity not only to discover the host country’s hottest destinations but also to get to know the artists.
Take a look at all postcards from 2010 until 2019 and vote for your favourite theme in our poll below. We will pay a tribute to each contest by showing a random postcard from each year.
Eurovision 2010: Oslo, Norway
The 2010 contest kicked off the decade with a theme built around “share the moment”. It resonated well with the past decades and summed up everything the competition is about from the very early days. This concept was also featured in the postcards with fans from each participating country appearing together, excitedly cheering with their national flags.
Eurovision 2011: Düsseldorf, Germany
In 2011, the postcards introduced locations in Germany. They told a story of what happened there, with the main characters representing different people from the competing nations. At the end of each postcard, the contest’s motto “Feel your heart beat” was shown or said in the respective country’s national or native language.
Eurovision 2012: Baku, Azerbaijan
In Baku, each postcard combined local Azeri features with those of each participating country. For example, chess for Russia, local cuisine for France, holy sites for Israel and so on. This was followed with each countries’ flag colours being projected on the outside of Baku’s Crystal Hall.
Eurovision 2013: Malmö, Sweden
From east to west – Malmö has had the honour of hosting the contest in 2013. This time, the postcards put the artists centre stage, showing them at home. The idea was that they were doing something that they liked and letting the audience into their personal life. The logo –”We Are One” – was symbolised in each postcard with a butterfly who flew from one destination to another changing its colours in accordance with each participating country’s flag.
Eurovision 2014: Copenhagen, Denmark
In 2014, each participant was presented while doing some kind of a craft whose outcome was their national flag. Filming took place in different locations which had some connection to each act. For example, Conchita Wurst pushed a rack of red and white dresses through the snow to the Opera House which she then arranged and formed the Austrian flag. The Common Linnets from the Netherlands picked some red, white and blue tulips and formed the Dutch flag on a boat.
Eurovision 2015: Vienna, Austria
“Building Bridges” was the theme in 2015. Similarly, each postcard started with the contestants in their homeland receiving an invitation to visit a region in Austria and then travelling throughout Austria until they arrived there. Each postcard had its own theme such as science, transportation and so forth and the artist performed a related activity.
Eurovision 2016: Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden hosted Eurovision twice in the last decade in 2013 in Malmö and then three years later in Stockholm. As with the 2013 edition, the postcards have been produced in the respective home countries of the representatives, showcasing typical views from their locality along with parts of their personal and professional lives.
Eurovision 2017: Kyiv, Ukraine
The artists’ emotions stood in the centre of the postcards for the 2017 edition mirroring the slogan – “Celebrate Diversity”. Each clip started with their facial expressions (for example, a smile or a curious look) followed by a glimpse to their personal and professional life in chosen locations in their homeland.
Eurovision 2018: Lisbon, Portugal
Portugal’s landscape was the main theme in the postcards of the 63rd Eurovision. As with the 2015 concept, each artist was portrayed in an activity or task he had undertaken in various locations in the country. At the beginning of each postcard, the artists were shown entering a unique door which led to spectacular Portuguese views.
Eurovision 2019: Tel Aviv, Israel
We started our journey of this decade in the northwest in Oslo and we will end it in the southeast in Tel Aviv. Here, the concept of the postcards was “Dare to Dance” throughout Israel’s landscape. Each participant showcased a different dance style, for example, hip hop, ballet etc. The postcards started with each contestant virtually creating a triangle and ended with another triangle forming a star – this year’s theme – followed by the country’s flags projected on to the ceiling of the arena.
Since it’s obvious that the only contenders in this category are 2014 vs 2019 I would like to say that 2019 wins. The idea of 2014 postcards is creative and fun but the process itself is often boring (the Ukrainian singer pastes yellow cards on the floor for half a minute), only the reveal is interesting and it’s just a couple of seconds in the end. While in 2019 it often feels like the postcards are too short. They pass by very fast because they are all different (including the music) and full of interesting stuff and views from beginning… Read more »
1.2014
2.2015
3.2016
2014 and 2019 the winners no doubt. After them, are 2016 and 2018.
Portugal just did the concept Austria tried way much better.
Where did my comment from this morning go to? 😀 I said that I love 2014 ones, especially Italy’s, cause it was cute that Emma did the flag out of food 😀 Maybe the word with m for Italian cheese got stuck in the filter xD
I generally prefer postcards from years which presented some views from the countries of the participants and not places in the host country.
Yeah, I mean, not to be biased but when Agnete showed her Sami heritage and culture in her postcard, and an important part of Norway, I got chills and it’s 100% one of my favorite postcards this decade!
The hosting country, that spends millions of tax payers money on the production have all the right to show itself if it chooses to do so. If the participating countries want to be shown in the postcards they should pay for their production. Sounds only fair to me.
I actually really like the postcards from 2016 and 2017 as it allows the artists to show some of their personality and a part of their home country to Europe. The instrumental part of the postcards is great and I really liked the “mannequin challenge” they went for in 2017.
In terms of postcards, no one could beat UK 2014, the winner of the whole decade.
When I was watching that contest I thought, how will they ever be able to do uk
Turns out they did it in a genius way
Idk who had the best, but Vienna definitely had the worst.
2014 for me. My favorite postcard is Emma from Italy going to the market and then creating the flag out of tomatos, mozzarella and basilicum <3
2014 and 2019 are the best in my opinion, 2014 is such a creative idea and 2019 is beautifully executed.
2012 however… It’s just your normal tourism ad XD
https://youtu.be/R8wtwJYwNUw?t=6190 . The 2010 postcards had this amazing idea of creating each country contour with those particles. But when it came to Israel (which have controversial borders) the organisers decided to avoid a political statement and showed some mess that doesn’t even remotely looks like a contour of Israel. I mean, the previous years also had maps that are showing Israel, and they somehow managed to deal with it. With or without certain territories but they SHOWED ISRAEL. I mean, what will happen now with Crimea? Are Ukraine and Russia going to become random shapes as well because we don’t… Read more »
The top 3 in the poll is my top 3. 2014’s were the most creative and 2019 ‘s were beautifully filmed and edited, setting the bar very high from now on. The postcards from 2018 are not as impressive as those others, but I liked the interaction between artists and locals. And the door was a simple but nice touch.
2015 for me! They showed the artists at home and a piece of Austria and each one ended with a night shot from Vienna. I think they had it all!
The best 2014 or 2019
Worst – 2010 or 2012
In 2012, Azerbaijan actually did use their postcards for propaganda purposes – something which the boycott crowd of 2019 pre-accused Israel of doing, which didn’t end up happening.
How so? They were just showing off their country, nothing wrong about that. You may not like the postcards or the Azerbaijan’s politics, but how do they differ from 2018 postcards for example?
Well…the whole reason Azerbaijan joined the contest (and the EBU) is to get the chance to host. They don’t actually care about the songs or the contest itself, they just hijacked the show to get a chance to present their ill-gotten gains on the international stage. It’s the same reason they militantly pursued the European Athletics Championships, the Formula One Grand Prix, the boxing tournaments, and even a bid for the Olympics. Like Qatar and the FIFA World Cup.
Since when is presenting your country considered as propaganda?!
Man, I get that you don’t like Azerbaijan, but why so much hate lol
There’s no hate. I’m just stating a fact. I do like Azerbaijan. I don’t confuse its power-hungry amoral rulers with the ordinary citizens.
You, the woke crowd have just a few ideas, and double standards. Whay do you accuse Azerbaijan of doing something that Germany, Portugal and Israel did too? We are suppose to see the host country.
Germany, Portugal and Israel swept aside whole communities to build ostentatious venues?
The end justifies the means, right?
It kinda reminds me of Bejing 2008, when hectares of historic quarters were leveled before the Olympics.
There’s even an animated picture called “My Grandmother Bejing” talking about those events.
2014 for sure!
Winner: 2014.
Other honourable mentions can’t pick a runner up: 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. What a good run. Ukraine was such a disappointment. You could tell they either had no passion/ideas, or no budget for the postcards. 2018 was really nice again. I’ll say this wholeheartedly: thank you Sweden for bringing back the idea of the artists playing the main role in the postcards. I hope this will continue forever. Worst: 2012. Disgraceful. Best single postcard I can remember immediately: Estonia 2016. Obvi.
Just watched the Jana postcard from 2017. I seriously forgot they shot the artists in different locations with different activities. All I remembered was how everyone had that same beginning and end of striking a pose in a studio. Gotta partially withdraw the Ukraine criticism for partial lack of memory, apparently. Though I do not like how everyone had to pose in that dark studio setting, I found it rather boring.
I actually liked the 2017 postcards, the idea with the artists’ emotions was quite neat 🙂 But there have been better themes indeed.
2014 and no other is even close.
It was kinda a copy of 1998, though?
I was born in 1996. I don’t care
I was born in 1997, I care
It really wasn’t. 1998 postcards were mainly about the relationship between the past and the present, with flags being just a link tying all the postcards up. In 2014 crafting of the flag was the main focus, an excuse to present the performers in a creative and engaging way. In my opinion the 2014 postcards are far superior here – they’re more clean, well-thought, coherent, conistent and interesting – each one was different and similar at the same time – one format used in all the ways possible, simple, yet greatly satisfying. 1998 postcards were just too messy and uneven,… Read more »
12, 10 and 15 I would say is the weakest .. especially 2012 .Baku was devoid of any soul or character what so ever .. thank god it had a great winner..
From previous decade I loved postcards in 2009 and 2003 was good
2014 was the best, creating their flags with their hobbies, or was supposed to be their hobbies
I can’t choose between 2014 and 2019. Both were not boring.
So the 2013 postcards forced the singers to film inside their home? How intrusive! No wonder is last.
I prefer the ones that show off the host country in addition to the artists.
yep, me too.
1. 2014
2. 2019
3. 2016
4. 2017
5. 2015
and so on..
As a crafter myself, I’m going for 2014, with 2019 as a close second.
2014, for me too.
2017 was second. 2019 was third.
Voted for 2014 and 2019
Not surprised by the results so far xD
It’s a toss-up between 2014 and 2019 for my favorites but I can say with confidence that 2012’s were the worst.
For me 2010 was the worst