The 2024 Summer Olympics begins in less than a week. Thousands of athletes worldwide will compete amongst themselves for top-three finishes in 329 events across 32 sports with the rest of the world holding its breath while cheering on their favorite players. And with the Olympics fever running so high, brands would do their best to make their presence felt throughout the event. After all, they have been doing it ever since video marketing became a thing. But Olympic ad campaigns surely got better at the turn of the century. And boy, some of those Olympic commercials are pure gold.
So, here we are today with 5 iconic Olympic commercials from the 21st century that became all-time classics!
1. Visa: Kerry Strug Ad (2004)
There’s nothing better in sports than a good comeback story. And this 2004 Visa commercial makes the most of one of the greatest comeback stories that unfolded in front of our eyes in the 1996 Olympics.
The ad features Morgan Freeman’s calm baritone cascade over footage of the 1996 gold medalist Kerry Strug and how she executed a perfect 10 on the biggest stage. In case, you haven’t watched what happened that day, I’d urge you to watch this ad first and then surf through YouTube to find the highlights of this event.
You won’t regret it; Kerry Strug and her twisted ankle are just too good to ignore!
2. Nike: Find Your Greatness (2012)
Well, we covered this ad in our blog on the best sponsorship ambushes in sports. But this ad isn’t just a classical example of ambush marketing but also one of the best Olympic commercials that I have seen so far.
The begins with a rather long shot of a young fat kid jogging on an empty street. It then goes on to feature everyday people showing off their athletic prowess at every level as they seek to find their innate greatness ahead of the 2012 Olympics. While all the shots included in the ad are breathtaking, the shot of the physically handicapped kid throwing a baseball stole the show!
3. Samsung: The Anthem (2016)
Nothing beats a well-curated combination of the best sporting moments coupled with the national anthem of a country. Now imagine stringing together lines from multiple national anthems against such imagery!
The song in this 2016 Samsung advert featured lines from multiple national anthems. Its purpose? Uniting the world. Did it succeed? Well, it surely united music and sports enthusiasts! Good job, Samsung!
4. Mini USA: Defy Labels (2016)
Most sportspersons out there defy all odds to be where they are today. They fight against labels and stereotypes that society throws at them. This brilliant 30-second spot by Mini USA takes a look at eight American Olympians who come together to reveal labels that others use to define them.
From being discriminated against for their race to being called out for their religion, these Olympians have seen it all. But the ultimate truth, as Serena Williams puts it at the end of the ad, is that the only label that really matters at the end of the day is that they are all Olympians!
5. Procter & Gamble: Best Job (2012)
And here’s my favorite Olympic commercial of all time. And guess what, there’s a story behind it too. Multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble launched a series of ads called “Thank you Mom” during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. These ads showed mothers following their children on their journey to become Olympic athletes.
As things turned, these ads got so popular that P&G continued making these ads every Olympic cycle ever since. This 2012 spot follows mothers from different parts of the world. The ad perfectly captures the struggle and effort that goes into sports training while subtly plugging the company’s products into the video.
If you have got a lump in your throat by the time you finish watching this ad, you and I will surely be able to relate to each other on quite a few things.
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of some of the best Olympic commercials. As I said in our best Wimbledon ads blog, creating commercials for reputed sporting events requires a lot of discretion. The advertisements must be in line with the overall ethos of the events. Hopefully, the ads covered above will give you some idea and inspiration on what you can do for your Olympics 2024 ad campaign.
We’ll be back with more amazing commercials for you. Till then, stay tuned!
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