This year’s Olympics in Paris was a spectacle and the Paralympics are keeping that torch burning bright.With over 10,000 athletes from 196 nations taking part, it embraced the lack of restrictions that posed a challenge for the Tokyo games in 2020.
From the awe-inspiring
opening ceremony, Celine Dion’s big comeback, the ubiquitous presence of Snoop Dogg, chocolate muffins that went viral, to the adrenaline-fuelled basketball finale and the pass-over to Los Angeles, this year’s games were nothing short of epic.
Post-pandemic, the world is well and truly open and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is widespread, meaning that brands took their Olympic marketing efforts up a notch.
Let’s explore the Paris games from a marketing perspective, honing in on the trends and initiatives that kept the torch burning bright.
- Inclusive and emotive storytelling took the middle east mobile number list gold
- The influence of AI in this year’s Olympics
- A playing field for brand ambassadors
- The best memes and characters from the Paris Olympics
Inclusive and emotive storytelling took the gold
With environmental concerns, social issues, and gender equality on the agenda, we saw brands and sponsors (including Coca-Cola, Omega, and the BBC) stepping up their game to build meaningful instagram reels – how to create? narratives that made a deeper impact than hollow sales messaging or snappy ad slogans.
Nike, for example, collaborated with the Olympic Refugee Foundation to provide uniforms for the Refugee Olympic Team and support the refugee community in Paris. This ‘Watch Where We’re Going’ video offered fresh perspectives on the refugee athletes competing at the games.
Sharp, punchy, and powerful, this video-based campaign au cell numbers zeroed in on the hardships and stigma that refugee athletes face.
In addition to showcasing
the challenges faced by refugee Olympians, Nike succeeded in capturing the sheer grit, determination, and talent of athletes like boxer Cindy Ngamba – offering its audience a narrative of hope and success in the face of adversity.
While the Paris games were the first to have full gender parity in all sporting events, brands hired more female athletes to launch marketing campaigns. This also connects to the ever-increasing record ratings for women’s sports in Europe and the U.S.
While platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube formed official partnerships with National Olympic Committees and broadcasters to target a younger demographic, sponsors leaned into social media for athlete-led Olympic campaigns, according to SportsPro Media.