Olympic Marketing 2.0: how brands are winning gold through unity, not just sponsorship

This article originally appeared in Creative Bloq.

The Olympic rings no longer guarantee marketing gold. As the torch passes from Paris 2024 to Los Angeles 2028, savvy brands are rewriting the playbook, transforming the world’s biggest sporting event into a catalyst for unity and social change. Here’s how the most innovative players are breaking away from the pack.

The new podium: engagement over exposure

Forget logo saturation and feel-good montages. Today’s Olympic brand champions are:

• Storytellers with substance: Bandit Running’s ‘Unsponsored Project‘ (see above) gives athletes logo-free gear, spotlighting Olympic dreamers’ financial challenges. Result? Millions of views and 12,000 new followers in a week.
• Inclusion catalysts: Intel’s VR experiences for mobility-impaired fans didn’t just innovate – they opened the Games to a whole new audience. Result? A top score for disability inclusion by the American Association of People with Disabilities.
• Cultural Alchemists: P&G’s “Love Over Bias” campaign challenged prejudices instead of pushing products. Result? Over 300 million video views and more than five billion earned media impressions globally.

Paris 2024: city of light, beacon of brand innovation

Paris brought its je ne sais quoi to life – romantic, elegant, historic – inspiring brands to transcend sport and embody the city’s essence:

• Airbnb redefined Olympic hospitality with “Host the World.” Local ambassadors offered uniquely Parisian experiences, like fencing lessons under the Eiffel Tower. Result? Brand popularity grew by 3% during the games.
• LVMH elevated craftsmanship to an Olympic sport with their “Artisan Olympics.” Master artisans live-streamed their skills, paralleling watchmaking precision with sprinter timing. Result? 17 times more value than the brand’s annual average.
• Fenty blurred the line between beauty and sport in the style capital, providing makeup kits to medal-presenting volunteers, while athletes like Simone Biles went viral using their products. Result? Over 20K new social followers in 2 weeks.

LA 2028: the next frontier of brand engagement

Los Angeles, with its kaleidoscopic identity, offers a unique canvas for brand innovation. Here are potential game-changers:

• Sustainability Meets Star Power: Imagine Patagonia creating opening ceremony uniforms from Angelenos’ donated clothes. “Renewal Stations” citywide could turn old tees into Olympic gear, weaving sustainability into the Games’ DNA.
• Content Goes Hyperlocal: Picture Netflix launching “502: LA Unscripted,” an interactive journey through LA’s 502 square miles. Live streams and AI-guided tours could showcase everything from East LA taco trucks to Silicon Beach startups, celebrating LA’s cultural tapestry.
• AI Breaks Language Barriers: Envision Google’s “Babel,” an AI translation system erasing communication gaps. Athletes strategizing across languages, global fan interactions, multilingual press conferences – it’s not about shrinking the world but enabling it to converse as one.

The Bottom Line: unite or become irrelevant

Tomorrow’s Olympic marketing medalists won’t be judged by ad spend or logo visibility. Their ROI will be measured by communities united, conversations sparked, and lasting change inspired.

As LA 2028 approaches, the question for brands isn’t about participation—it’s about the courage to drive real impact. In this new arena, being seen isn’t enough; being remembered for catalyzing change is the true victory.

The starting gun has fired. Which brands will sprint towards meaningful engagement, and which will be left in the dust of outdated strategies? The world is watching, and history is waiting to be made.

Jenna Isken is Global Group Director, Brand Experience