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Fair Game: Advertising in the 2016 Olympic Games

July 15, 2016

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It’s been a strange election year, to say the least.  The conventions are looming, and between July and November I expect that we’ll consume more political advertising, punditry and news than is healthy for any person.

But for two weeks in August, we can turn down the noise of the election and immerse ourselves in the Olympics.  We can all cheer for the same Team USA, and enjoy some well-produced, heart-string-tugging ads in between the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  Back in March, NBC announced that they had already exceeded $1 billion in ad sales for the Rio 2016 games, and anticipated record ad revenue for the games thanks to the prime-time TV-friendly time zone in Rio.  World  and Team USA sponsors include well-known consumer brands such as Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Nissan and Visa, but thanks to a change in the IOC advertising rules, it’s easier for non-sponsor brands to get in on the action.  That means brands like Under Armour, which sponsors 250 Olympic athletes but is not an official sponsor of the games, can now buy valuable ad time during those two weeks.

Here’s a preview of what we might see from these brands in August:

Under Armour – Rule Yourself

 

Chobani – #NoBadStuff

 

America’s Milk Companies – Built with Chocolate Milk

 

Proctor & Gamble: – Thank you, Moms

P&G’s “Thank you, Moms” campaign has been the standout of the last two Olympics games, and it looks like they’ll be hard to beat this time around, too. We’ll be watching.

Go Team USA!

 

Author:

Michelle Taglialatela is Tag’s brand strategist, one of 35 nationally who is certified by The Brand Establishment.
Michelle applies Tag’s proprietary process to create one-of-a-kind brand strategies that transform cultures and improve the bottom line. Tag has brand depth rivaled by few; and has been working with clients for more than a decade helping them exceed their objectives and stand out!