Podium-worthy marketing: Inspiring examples of Olympic & Paralympic campaigns

The Olympics kick off today, with the Paralympics following in just a few weeks. Taking place in Paris this year, the games are more than just sporting events - they’re a global stage for brands to showcase their values, culture, and flex their creativity.

Attracting diverse audiences, the Olympic and Paralympic games provide a unqiue and perfect platform for impactful storytelling and brand engagement.

Sport, especially on such a grand stage, has the power to inspire and unite people from all walks of life, overcoming borders and differences. This same power can be harnessed within marketing to evoke emotions, create connections, and build lasting relationships with audiences, nationally and worldwide.

Let’s dive into some of the most inspiring and effective Olympic and Paralympic campaigns:

Nike – Find Your Greatness

Nike’s ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign during the London 2012 summer Olympics was a masterclass in emotional storytelling. The campaign, comprising of a series of TV adverts, focused on the mundane activities and training routines of athletes and everyday people around the world, encouraging everyone to find their own greatness.

The ads were powerfully voiced over by the athletes, providing motivational messages about finding success, even in the hardest of moments. Each advert ended with the iconic message: “Find Your Greatness.” The campaign gained notable social media traction too, athletes worldwide began using the hashtag ‘#FindYourGreatness’ as a personal mantra, helping Nike gain an additional 57,000 followers across their social media platforms – surpassing the success of Adidas' campaign, the brand that had ironically won the Olympic partnership over Nike.

By featuring athletes alongside everyday people, the advert was inclusive, empowering and relevant to a global audience, pushing the message that greatness is available to everyone.

P&G – Thank you, Mom

Procter & Gamble’s ‘Thank You, Mom’ campaign has become a defining feature of the Olympics, with successful runs during multiple Games, including London 2012 and Rio 2016. This campaign demonstrates the crucial role mothers play in the lives of athletes by sharing touching stories of support and sacrifice.

The Rio 2016 advert, for instance, depicted mothers helping their children navigate both daily challenges and their athletic pursuits, ultimately guiding them to becoming Olympic champions. The emotional tone of the campaign, accompanied with the message “It takes someone strong, to make someone strong”, deepened P&G’s bond with families worldwide. It especially resonated with mothers, making them feel acknowledged for their daily efforts, resilience and sacrifices in raising their children.

P&G may not seem to have much in common with the Olympics, but their annual Olympic campaigns demonstrate how great marketing can bridge seemingly unrelated events with a company’s target audience. These campaigns exemplify how strategic marketing can create meaningful connections

We're the Superhumans – Channel 4

Once made the UK broadcaster of the Paralympic Games, Channel 4 launched its ‘We're the Superhumans’ campaign in the lead-up to the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Before Channel 4 took on the Paralympics, the games were almost seen as the “Second Cousin to the Olympics” (as the broadcaster’s previous chief marketing and communications officer Dan Brooke once said). The campaign aimed to shift public perceptions of disabled people, celebrating the extraordinary abilities and achievements of Paralympians.

The centerpiece was a three-minute TV advert featuring over 140 disabled people, including Paralympians, musicians, and dancers. The ad was set to an upbeat cover of Sammy Davis Jr.'s ‘Yes I Can,’ performed by a band of disabled musicians too. The advert showcased athletes performing incredible feats and talents in various sports, mixed with everyday people with disabilities overcoming challenges and excelling in their daily lives.

The 'Superhumans' campaign, now an annual highlight of the Paralympic Games, has changed perceptions around the games and had a long-lasting impact on perceptions of disabilities and representation of disabled people in media, elevating the Paralympics to a status equal to the Olympics. This campaign stands as a prime example of the power of marketing in shifting public opinion and transforming the perception of an event.

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Podium-worthy marketing: Inspiring examples of Olympic & Paralympic campaigns

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