The Olympics has invariably held an excellent track record of producing some of the best ads in the century. From Procter and Gamble’s – ‘Thank you Mom,(2016)‘ which perfectly captured the raw emotions in gruelling sports training and focused on the parental support from the sidelines, to Coca-Cola’s – ‘Special Olympics(2014),’ which portrayed a simple, heartfelt message of inclusion, these ads are unforgettable.
With the pandemic halting the plans of advertisers to display creative ads to the audience in the stadiums, marketers had to go the extra mile to craft innovative strategies that have led the world in awe of these brilliant marketing strategies.
Here are the top 3 advertising campaigns:
- Airbnb
While fans are not allowed to attend the Olympics in person this year, brands have come together to launch one-of-a-kind experiences for people worldwide to celebrate and support the athletes while feeling like a part of the action.
One of the brands heading the online campaigns is Airbnb. The community-rental giant teamed up with the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee to offer fans 200 ways to experience the Paralympic and Olympics Games through a range of online and in-person experiences. The ‘Tokyo together curated programme‘ aimed to celebrate and support the athletes while helping fans feel as close to the action as possible. Guests could virtually meet athletes, including Team GB triathlete Jonny Brownlee and Team GB skateboarder Sky Brown before and after they competed at Tokyo 2020.
Catherine Powell, Global Head of Hosting, Airbnb, said: “With spectatorship looking different this year, audiences are seeking new ways to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes during Tokyo 2020. These interactive activities will provide an intimate window into the Games, all made possible by the 200-plus athletes joining our Hosting community this summer.”
2. PnG
P&G has always been at the forefront of the Olympics for their stellar marketing campaigns. For their global Tokyo 2020 campaign, the brand decided to lead with empathy to support the people and the athletes during this time of unprecedented loss. They created two new films that celebrate athletes who are leading with love through acts of good.
‘Love Leads to Good’ is an advertisement packed with emotions that reveals the impact parents have in those small moments of teaching that develop over a lifetime, transforming a kid into an athlete – as a champion– and as a good person.
‘Your Goodness is Your Greatness‘ shines a light on Olympic and Paralympic athletes who, despite their quest to win in the highest level of sports in the world, took a moment to help their competitors– showing that the accurate measure of greatness truly is goodness.
The brand ended its campaign on an empowering note with the ‘Good is Gold’ film series that showcased moving stories of athletes as they take action against bias and inequality with athletes such as Zeina Nassar, Scout Bassett, and Allyson Felix.
3. Samsung
Samsung teamed up with the IOC to create the World Lens, designed to embrace the multicultural nature of the Olympics. It is an Augmented Reality experience integrated into the Olympic app enabling fans to take an interactive journey through eight of the world’s most diverse cultures with a series of fun filters. From practising k-pop and Brazilian street art to knowing about Swedish midsommar and the Nigerian shaku-shaku, the app allows you to learn and explore. It goes beyond sports and integrates communities and experiences.
Beyond that, Samsung also embraced the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games through immersive experiences at Samsung Showcases (Galaxy Harajuku at Harajuku, Galaxy Athlete Lounge at Olympic and Paralympic Village for Tokyo 2020). Galaxy Harajuku was explicitly designed to provide visitors with engaging experiences incorporating Samsung’s legacy of breakthrough mobile innovation and interactive activities.
In Conclusion:
Coronavirus has created an opportunity for these brands to transform online experiences and invoke positive emotions after a devastating period. Elizabeth Lindsey, President of Brands & Properties, Wasserman, says, “You want to take the love that people have for the Olympics and use that to borrow that equity for your brand.”
