The 2024 Olympic Games are set to launch in Paris this week. It has only been three years since the COVID-delayed Tokyo games in 2021, which even after a pandemic-forced break, took place in front of reduced crowds and under strict guidelines.
These games promise a return to normalcy, or as normal as things can be in our modern world. The athletes will be there, the crowds will return, and the brands have developed their campaigns to capture consumers’ attention. Earlier this year, NBCUniversal said it was on track to sell $1.25 billion in advertising for this year’s Olympic Games and that spending from ad sponsors was up 18% over the Tokyo games.
“Very few properties can help (brands) build reach and know exactly where their advertising is running. That is why the Olympics continues to garner support from major advertisers,” Dan Lovinger, president of Olympic and Paralympic sales at NBCU, told Reuters in April.
Still, things have changed in the ways people will view the games. The opening ceremony will be ad free, thanks to NBCU sponsors The Coca-Cola Company, Delta, Eli Lilly and Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Visa, and Xfinity.
Google has signed on as the “Official Search AI Partner of Team USA” as a way to bring the athletes’ stories front-and-center to be told in the “most dynamic ways possible,” according to a statement from Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As part of the partnership, Google will work with NBCUniversal to integrate sponsored content formats – including ways to search and explore the Olympic and Paralympic Games with Google Search and AI features – within NBCUniversal’s extensive coverage platforms. Among the features will be:
- Explain the Games with Google, which will showcase Google Search’s AI Overviews as commentators help answer questions about the games via Google’s search engine (like the lane assignments in swimming). The feature will extend to NBCU’s social media accounts.
- Try it with Google Gemini, which will feature superfan commentator and comedian Leslie Jones using Google’s AI assistant to learn new sports and come up with custom moves.
- One Day in Paris, which will use Google Lens and other Google features to help five athletes explore the host city through social videos and late-night promos.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Google to deliver innovative, highly engaging elements that will enhance the coverage of the Paris Games for our audiences and make every viewer feel as though they are on the ground in Paris,” Lovinger said in a statement announcing the partnership. “This one-of-a-kind partnership demonstrates the endless possibilities when you combine innovative technology with premium content to enhance the viewing experience for fans of all ages.”
Meanwhile, The International Olympic Committee has partnered with media/gaming company Super League (along with brand partners Visa and EverGame) to launch Olympic World, an immersive environment on the Roblox virtual platform. Through the virtual site, players will be able to access a variety of Olympic-inspired mini-games in a virtual Olympic Stadium, make in-game, Olympic-themed purchases their avatars and learn about the history of Olympic sports and receive updates about the Paris Games.
Roblox will also host two regional environments, one for Team USA and NBCUniversal and one for Brazil and MRH Globo. The Team USA Obby will include a Team USA Museum, mini-games, a Peacock lounge and branded virtual merchandise. The Brazil environment will include a “Destino Pari” as part of MRH Globo’s existing “Sportv Land.”
Surrounding all of these viewing opportunities, sponsors are launching marketing campaigns that tap into the Olympic spirit of achievement and national pride.
Michelob Ultra
As the exclusive beer sponsor of Team USA for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Michelob Ultra will run its largest summer marketing campaign to date. The campaign, themed “The Summer of Team USA,” will revolve around a new 30-second commercial that will make its debut during the opening ceremony on July 26.
The marketing campaign will also include a full NBC linear takeover, a fan experience at NBC headquarters in Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, out-of-home assets, and special edition packaging that will feature the Team USA logo, an American flag and Olympic rings.
On the ground in Paris, Michelob Ultra will take over Team USA House at the games, providing fans with content from the team’s home base where they will celebrate successes and other highlights. The house will also be open to the public, with a bar fully stocked with Michelob Ultra.
Corona Cero
Not to be outdone, Corona Cero, the global beer sponsor of the Olympic & Paralympic Games, has launched a new marketing platform, “For Every Golden Moment,” that celebrates the triumphant moments of the games and reminds the world to embrace and enjoy their golden moments in life. The campaign is the no-alcohol brand’s first Olympics activation.
The platform will run in 40 global markets and will span a variety of media touchpoints, including film, social media, out-of-home, experiences and trade. The campaign captures the emotion of celebratory golden moments from Olympians and draws parallels from them to the golden moments that can be enjoyed by all. An overarching theme of the campaign is to encourage people to get outside and reconnect with nature.
One element of the campaign involves taking seats from Olympics Games venues in Pairs and transplanting them to iconic travel destinations in other parts of the world.
Molson
Up North, Molson, a partner of Team Canada, is taking a different tack with its sponsorship, saluting the parents of the nation’s Olympic athletes. The brand has signed nine Team Canada parents to endorsement deals that include many of the perks of a pro athlete signing, including starring roles in commercials, documentation of their journey to Paris across Molson’s social media channels and free product.
“We’re proud to support the foundation of Team Canada athletes – their parents – at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, ” says Kara Fitzpatrick, marketing director, Molson & Economy Brands. “We wanted to do something meaningful to support the families of athletes who have worked impossibly hard in the background, providing endless support and energy to help get their kids to the biggest stage in sports. Launching Sponsor the Parents is an incredible way to give these parents a bit of the spotlight they so richly deserve.”
Toyota
As the official automaker of the Olympic Games, Toyota will have a big presence both on the ground and in the programming around the games. The automaker began its marketing around the games in April with an called “Send off” under the brand’s “Start Your Impossible” campaign. The spot depicts the off season training and support athletes get in the run-up to the competition, ending with them packing up their cars as they head off to the games. The campaign features 20 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and will run on TV, digital video, paid social, out-of-home and programmatic channels.
On the ground. Toyota will have more than 2,500 electrified passenger vehicles for use during the games transporting athletes, officials, volunteers and spectators throughout the city. In addition, the company is making more than 500 electric scooters available in the athletes’ village.
Visa
Like many others, Visa’s Olympic-themed advertising highlights the message that hard work and incremental progress is the key to greatness and Olympic success. The brand’s new spot, “Prodigies,” features archival footage of notables such as musician Pharrell Williams, Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, chef Roy Choi and others working through their respective areas as youths. A voiceover suggests these so-called prodigies actually come from hard work and determination over days and years of practice.
Visa will also have a significant presence in Paris, using its new Visa Go payment app to provide access to unique experiences and unique content during the games. The brand has also commissioned six artists to create pieces that will appear on billboards throughout Paris and other nearby host cities. The brand has also implemented seamless contact payment solutions at more than 3,500 points of sale across the Olympic and Paralympic venues. (Visa will also be the only payment accepted for mobile and card payments at the games.)
Samsung
Longtime Olympics partner Samsung Electronics has launched its “Open Always Wins” campaign via an immersive AI showcase that will take consumers on a journey through the brand’s Olympics partnership and its latest products. The installation was developed by architect Jean Nouvel and is inspired by Parisian Salons from the Age of Enlightenment. The visuals celebrate openness and possibilities through reflections and optical illusions.
Procter & Gamble
Another longtime Olympics partner, Procter & Gamble will use the high-profile nature of the games for its Olay brand to launch its new Cleansing Melts water-activated skin-cleaning products. The product has signed on as the “Official Facial Cleanser of Team USA” and has enlisted athletes including Sha’Carri Richardson, Athing Mu, Rose Lavelle, Natalia Grossman and Laurie Hernandez to promote the product. The brand will also launch an integrated marketing campaign that will include television advertising, print advertising, social promotion and athlete engagement during the games.
Separately, P&G’s Tide brand has launched a campaign featuring track and field Olympians Noah Lyles and Carl Lewis under the theme, “Stains Happen to the Best of Us.” The campaign ad depicts how, no matter how successful one may be in sports, everyone can get stains on their clothing. The spot will run across TV, steaming, online video and social media.
Glossier
With women’s basketball having a moment, Glossier has signed on as the Official Beauty Partner of USA Basketball, marking the first brand since 1996 to solely support the USA Women’s National Team program. As part of the partnership, Glossier will supply team members with packages of skincare, makeup and beauty products and will include social media, out-of-home advertising and community engagement.
“We’re excited to build on our long-running partnership with the WNBA, and bring it to new heights with USA Basketball,” said Kyle Leahy, CEO of Glossier. “There’s been a long-standing notion that beauty and sports don’t mix, and this partnership underscores the fact that that’s simply not true. The USA Women’s National Team is full of inspiring athletes with stories to tell both on and off the court, we are thrilled to shine a light on them.”
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is looking to use the Olympic Games as an opportunity to showcase commonality and bring people together, particularly in these divisive times, through its campaign. Using the theme, “It’s Magic When the World Comes Together,” the brand’s lead spot shows swimmers Lilly King, Kaylene Corbett, Annie Lazor and Tajana Schoenmaker embracing in a nod to a moment to the 2021 games. Fans viewing the moment take inspiration and hug the people around them throughout the commercial.
The theme of coming together continues through the brand’s special packaging, which has illustrations of arms reaching out that – when brought together – resemble a hug. The brand will also use “dynamic digital content” to showcase real-time hugs captured in Paris through the brand’s social media channels.
Nike
Nike, meanwhile, is taking the opposite approach. The brand’s campaign, “Winning Isn’t for Everyone,” uses a voiceover from actor Willem Dafoe to highlight the (oft-considered negative) qualities that motivate athletes to achieve greatness. These qualities might include an obsession with power, an inability to be satisfied and a lack of empathy. The spot features lauded Nike athletes such as LeBron James and Serena Williams.
Reese’s
In honor of the games, Reese’s introduced an Olympic-medal shape for its signature peanut-butter/chocolate confections. (Reese’s parent Hershey Company is a supporter of Team USA). The brand teamed up with former Olympians Alex Morgan and Jessica Long, along with hopefuls Sophia Smith and Haven Shepherd to compete in a “Legend vs. Newcomer” campaign showcasing the limited-time offering.
Chubbies
Apparel brand Cubbies is kicking off a multi-year collaboration with Team USA with a capsule series of clothing that celebrates America’s Olympic spirit from the past, present and future. The first capsule heralds the present, with polos, tees, tanks and swim trunks designed to embody the spirit of the athletes competing in the Paris Olympics.
A second capsule, coming later this summer, will pay tribute to the 1984 games that happened in Los Angeles in 1984. Launching on July 22, the line will include lightweight button-up shirts, tees and swim trunks, with an accompanying campaign featuring Olympic diver Greg Louganis.
The final capsule will look to the future, when the United States hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. “We are beyond thrilled to launch the Team USA capsule series,” said Rainer Castillo, Co-Founder and President of Chubbies. “Each part of these Olympic Heritage and Team USA capsules is a heartfelt homage to the incredible achievements of our Olympians and the enduring spirit of the Olympic Games. We can’t wait for our fans to don these unique pieces and join us in celebrating our athletic legacy.”
FIGS
Lesser-known medical apparel brand FIGS has launched a campaign celebrating the Team USA Medical Team that will be caring for athletes at the 2024 Games. The brand is the first to outfit more than 250 healthcare professionals supporting the Team USA athletes, and the brand felt they deserved some attention.
“Our mission at FIGS is to celebrate, empower and serve those who serve others,” said Trina Spear, CEO and Co-Founder of FIGS. “By highlighting healthcare professionals who push the limits every day to support our nation’s greatest athletes, we aim to bring well-deserved recognition to their incredible passion, dedication and skill.”
FIGS’ campaign centers around an anthemic film titled “Anatomy of a Champion.” With the tagline, “It takes heart to build bodies that break records,” the film portrays the USA Medical Team as the builders of record-breaking bodies. By juxtaposing their dynamic reality of treating athletes with an evolved nursery rhyme about human anatomy, it highlights the devotion and expertise they pour into their work.
Apple
Though not an official Olympic sponsor, Apple will debut a new campaign for its iPhone 15 Pro Max that will showcase young talent from sports including skateboarding, gymnastics, para-basketball and table tennis. Titled “2036 Hopefuls,” the campaign uses photographs depicting younger children playing their sports and features the familiar “shot on iPhone” tag.