Dispatches from Paris: Clear Seine, Full Stands, Can’t Lose
by BPI Staff
For the last two weeks, the world has been captivated by the Paris Games — world records, improbable come-from-behind wins, historic medals, GOAT-level performances, and, of course, Snoop Dogg. In the US, 34 million average nightly viewers tuned into NBC’s primetime Olympic TV broadcasts, a total triumph in the streaming era.
The Paris Games faced tremendous pressure to be a reset for the Olympic brand. Between a pandemic, doping scandals, infrastructural issues, and political tensions and instability, the hope was for Paris to bring everyone the experience they desire out of the Olympics — for athletes, fans, sponsors, and the professionals working behind the scenes on every aspect of the game.
Friend of BPI, Terrence Burns, boasts a 30-year career in Olympic marketing, including as a sponsor, rights holder with the IOC/Meridian, and as a consultant to bidding cities and nations, rights holders, and sponsors around the world. He has served as the lead brand and marketing consultant for six successful Olympic bids, in addition to World Cup and Asian Games bids. For the last 17 days he’s been in Paris, reporting back the highlights.
Here are our three key takeaways from his observations:
A new, modern France.
The goal for any Opening Ceremony is to represent not just the coming together of athletes around the globe, but to highlight the host city and country’s history and culture. By all accounts, Terrence believes that, despite the backlash, this summer’s Opening Ceremonies successfully highlighted President Macron’s vision of a modern, progressive France.
While conservative cultures and subcultures internationally, and even within the French far-right party, expressed criticism of some of the imagery and messaging used, the Paris mayor in particular pushed back, saying that the ceremonies demonstrated a hopeful and joyful vision of Parisian and French culture.
Where are the sponsors?
In Games past, it’s typical for in-person spectators and athletes alike to see a strong sponsor presence everywhere they go. A key difference this summer? Sponsors were almost nowhere to be seen in Paris itself — but that doesn’t mean they weren’t part of every moment of the Games.
In fact, sponsors took on a bigger role than ever before in Paris; their partnerships were just deeply integrated into the events themselves. Notice all of the athletes posing for a selfie on the podium? They’re using a Samsung phone. Old Spice and Head & Shoulders bottles can be found in the divers’ warm-down space. This focus on integration, rather than splashy OOH displays in host cities, highlights two trends that signify the future of marketing. First, that consumers are more wary of traditional advertising than ever, and elevating your brand through an ad that doesn’t feel like an ad is the best way to engage them. Second, it’s always crucial to meet your audience where they are; though more than 11 million visitors were expected in Paris, they and the millions more watching from home are all watching (and re-watching) across screens.
Bridging the political divide
Throughout this historic global election year, the deepening political divisions have been on stark display, and not just in the US. Every two years, the Olympics offer a unique occasion during which entire nations are rooting for the same thing: a gold medal for their country. In the US in particular, the start of the Olympics came on the heels of a rollercoaster month in American politics.
Of course, the Games are not without political tension or controversy, but the rarity of a true common goal that spans coasts and transcends identity renders the Olympics an incomparable brand environment for sponsors, athletes, national team organizations, and the IOC itself. Beyond the Olympics, sports generally provide a venue for brands seeking both attention and common ground.
From the Paris Games, sports clearly represent a valuable opportunity for brands to effectively reach stakeholders of all kinds — consumers, policymakers, investors, and even your own employees. Yes, the Olympics are unique in their global appeal, but sports have a proven ability to attract engaged eyeballs, an ability that transcends live competition, especially in this era, where every athlete holds the potential to be their own media entity. Leagues, media companies, investors, and sponsors alike can and should look for ways to show up in this rapidly growing and evolving space.
As we head into the closing ceremony weekend, enormous thank you to Terrence for sharing his insights on the Games, huge kudos to our friends at NBC Sports for producing an amazing program, and congratulations to all of the athletes!
