Image credit: Visa
When the Whole World’s Watching
What would you say if the world was watching?
That’s the billion-dollar question that a select group of brands must answer every four years when the Summer Olympic Games grace our television screens. Seriously, before the 2024 Paris Olympics were even completed, ad sales estimates reached a record $1.25 billion in the U.S. alone, underscoring the growing value being placed on advertising during the biggest sporting event on earth. It’s not a stretch to say that some ads may even reach more than a billion people worldwide, given that more than 3 billion have tuned in to watch each iteration of the games since 2008 and streaming platforms are bringing the games to more people than ever before.
This kind of unrivaled global viewership gives brands a clear path to shaping their image in the world’s consciousness for years to come. But much like the athletes who participate in the games, brands only get one shot, one opportunity to meet the moment and leave a lasting impression on old and new audiences alike. It’s a high-stakes game of content marketing that often favors the bold, the elegant and the heartwarming.
Sounds simple, right? After all, the games are usually chock-full of dramatic storylines and compelling figures ripe for engagement. But what typically separates the run-of-the-mill ad campaigns from the truly extraordinary ones (or your “happy to be here’s” from your legitimate medal contenders, if you will) is the latter’s ability to deftly weave together brand identity with the Olympic themes of sacrifice, passion and unity. It’s one thing to pay an elite athlete to promote a particular product; it’s another to highlight their unique journey to tell a more endearing, more inspiring story.
Telling Olympic Tales on TV
Even for the legions of brands that don’t quite have the resources to hire an Olympian or pay for a pricey TV spot, the Olympic advertising environment can still teach us a few things about brand publishing and branded content more broadly.
For starters, it’s usually a good idea to make certain popular events are somehow integrated into your content strategy. Developing specialized content that ties into what everyone is watching at a specific moment in time can pay major dividends when it comes to SEO, SERP rankings and overall brand recognition.
So, too, can investing in human-interest storytelling. You don’t always need a world champion gymnast with a million Instagram followers to get audiences interested in your brand. Everyone has a story to tell. You just have to find the one that makes the most sense for your brand (and your budget).
Finally, a touch of creativity and outside-the-box thinking can go a long way. Don’t recycle the same slogans or the same worn-out ad formulas. Make your content pop by giving people something they don’t see (or scroll past) every day.
Alright, let’s get to the list. Here’s a collection of the best Olympic ad campaigns of the 21st century.
12. Samsung - Olympic Anthem (2016)
This Samsung ad made for the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro is an uplifting place to start our advertising journey. It stitches together lyrics from several different national anthems sung by people living all over the world to form one unifying song. By demonstrating the connective power of smartphones, the ad offers an enticing glimpse into a “world without barriers” – an adequate encapsulation of the Olympic spirit.
11. Nike - Winning Isn’t For Everyone | Am I A Bad Person? (2024)
Nike’s newest ad, freshly made for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, features a dizzying lineup of some of its most famous athletes and a playful narration from the great Willem Dafoe. Does being a fierce competitor make these elite athletes “bad” people? Or is it just a prerequisite for greatness? This fast-paced ad lets viewers ruminate on these questions, keeping Nike on their minds long after the ad is done playing.
10. Samsung - World Coming Together (2020)
Fitting for an Olympic games taking place amid a global pandemic, Samsung’s 2020 ad reminds us that even though we might be physically located in different places, technology keeps us connected. The ad strikes a proper balance between wonder and emotion, featuring a heartwarming appearance from Olympic skateboarder Sky Brown and her father.
9. Nike - Courage (2008)
The Killers’ All These Things That I’ve Done makes a catchy soundtrack for Nike’s 2008 ad campaign. “Courage” is another fast-paced, Olympic-themed montage from the sports apparel company that aims to give audiences a visceral feeling of what it means to live Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It.”
8. Adidas - Impossible Is Nothing (2004)
Some slick editing put future (at the time) Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin and legendary Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci together in Adidas’ elegant ad for the 2004 games in Athens. Comaneci was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic games, inspiring generations of athletes to believe that “perfection is possible.”
7. Visa - The Heart (2016)
No words are necessary for this 2016 Visa ad spot. Guided by a steady heartbeat, viewers are given a snapshot of the life of an Olympic long jumper – from training to the games in Rio de Janeiro. The quick cuts between the athlete and the heart underscore the intensity of the moment and are an apt analogy for Visa’s takeaway message: “Always performing.”
6. P&G - Love Leads To Good (2020)
Procter & Gamble wants you to “Lead With Love” (and listen to your mom) in this 2020 ad for the Tokyo Games. It’s a continuation of the home care company’s series of mom-focused Olympic ads, which use a handful of small vignettes to tug at your heartstrings and make you want to call home.
5. P&G - The Best Job (2012)
Alright, who’s cutting onions? Here’s the first of P&G’s series of Olympic ads honoring all the moms out there who make their children’s dreams possible. Through all the early wake-ups, the rides to and from practices, and the steady encouragement, this heartwarming ad reminds us that “the hardest job in the world” is also “the best job in the world.”
4. Gillette - Perfect Isn’t Pretty (2016)
Four athletes, four different sports, and one awesome Sia soundtrack. The folks at P&G can’t stop making hits. This 2016 Olympics ad from its subsidiary, the razor and skincare brand Gillette, gives viewers a dramatized version of the struggles athletes endure to be at their best.
3. Visa - Go World (2008)
Is that the voice of god? Close! It’s Morgan Freeman. Visa’s “Go World” ads left an indelible mark on viewers during the 2008 Olympic games. The gold-tinted images and the crescendoing chorus on the main ad spot set the stage for an inspiring series highlighting stories from past Olympians like Derek Redmond and Kerri Strug.
2. Nike - Find Your Greatness (2012)
Greatness can come from anywhere. That’s the message Nike gave to the world during the 2012 games in London. The ad captures the Olympic spirit through a beautiful sequence of shots set to an uplifting violin soundtrack. It’s enough to make anyone get up off the couch and try doing some cool stuff.
1. P&G - Strong (2016)
The second installment of P&G’s “Thank you, Mom” ad campaign is its most potent. There aren’t many more effective ways to capture an audience’s attention than opening with storm sirens and a tornado. Through this 120-second spot, P&G tells the story of four Olympians to remind us of all the ways moms give us the strength to achieve the extraordinary.
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