Who won the brand Olympics?

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18 September 2016

Thought Leadership

2 mins

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Major sporting events are always an opportunity for brands to fight for promotional space. With millions of global spectators, sponsorships, placements and advertising are crucial chances to reinforce marketing messages – and thousands of pounds are spent by brands on just that.

But with so many brands vying for the audience, how does one effectively break through the noise and capture a consumer’s attention? Emotional resonance is one way to build those connections that will last beyond the games themselves. Here are a few examples of brands that capitalised on the Rio 2016 Games with unique and engaging ad spots centred around emotion.

Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble is one great example of a non-sporting brand that harnessed feelings of pride, achievement and appreciation surrounding the games. Their ‘Thank You Mom’ advertisement pulls on the heart strings for a sensitive and thoughtful take which reinforces the importance of family – something viewers can personally emotionally relate to.

Nissan

Laughter is another really effective way to resonate with the consumer. One example of this is Nissan’s ‘DoItForUs’ campaign which really was a winner as it allowed consumers to laugh along with the Olympians, making them more relatable for the audience.

Samsung

Samsung also used comedy to ensure an emotional response – using well-known Paralympians and the comedian Jack Whitehall to create a series of sketches that show another side to the star athletes.

So, while the athletes themselves may have been focusing on the medals, the brand winners of the 2016 games were the ones focusing on creating an emotional connection between the action, themselves, and the audience.