The Paris Olympics officially kick off July 26! In recent weeks, brands and broadcasters have been gearing up for the Games with new campaigns and strategies to reach audiences during the highly anticipated sporting events. Read up on all the latest Olympics advertising news in our Marketing Must Reads.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Buzzy NBC Ad

In their latest ad promoting the upcoming Olympics Games, NBCUniversal chose not to feature athletes, but rather one of the biggest pop stars of the summer. Sabrina Carpenter ushers in NBC’s Olympics coverage with a spot that shows her sitting outside a Parisian cafe with her hit song “Espresso” playing in the background. After a few too many cups of espresso, Carpenter finds herself in a caffeine-induced hallucination and talks excitedly to an animated bluebird about all the upcoming Olympic events.

The ad capitalizes on Carpenter’s skyrocketing star power, as well as her signature sense of humor. Throughout the year, NBCU has partnered with several other celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Emily in Paris star Lily Collins, to build buzz for the Olympics. NBCU will also partner with stars like Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg, and Kenan Thompson to serve as commentators and correspondents during the Games. Watch Carpenter’s ad and find out more about NBCU’s Olympics coverage strategy here: https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-marketing-blitz-powered-by-female-athletes-2024-07-17/

Apple’s New Ad Highlights Potential Future Olympians

Though not an official sponsor of the Olympic Games, Apple recently released a well-timed new ad for their ongoing “Shot on iPhone” campaign. The ads, titled “2036 Hopefuls,” feature images of child athletes engaging in various sports, including soccer, swimming, and table tennis. Each photo was taken by famous sports photographer Walter Iooss Jr on an iPhone 15 camera.

The campaign will run primarily on billboards across major international cities, as well as Apple’s social media channels. While competing brands, such as Samsung, choose to position themselves as official partners of the Olympics and various other sporting events, Apple rarely engages in sponsorship opportunities. Instead, they choose to release ads independently and tie their themes into popular events. Find out more about their “2036 Hopefuls” campaign here: https://adage.com/creativity/work/apple-captures-remarkable-young-athletes-olympics-shot-iphone-campaign/2570286

Advertisers Focus on Female Olympic Athletes

Consumers’ all-time-high interest in women’s sports continues this summer ahead of the Olympics. According to Reuters, more global advertisers are tapping female athletes to anchor their Olympics-themed campaigns, with some experts estimating that this year, there are twice as many ad campaigns featuring women sports stars compared to previous years. Many of the ads feature current Olympians, including Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky, as well as stars of previous Olympic Games, such as Kerri Walsh Jennings, Aly Raisman and Alex Morgan.

While the Olympics are one of the most-watched women’s sporting events, support for female athletes is likely to extend beyond the Games. Sports marketing agency GroupM plans to double its ad spend on women’s sports this year, led by campaigns with partners like Google, Mars and Unilever. Read more about advertisers’ changing approach to female Olympic athletes and events here: https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-marketing-blitz-powered-by-female-athletes-2024-07-17/

The 2024 Olympics Are the First to Offer Programmatic Ads

The 2024 Olympics mark the first time the Games will partially air on a streaming service and third-party websites, rather than exclusively on network television. NBCUniversal announced some Olympic event inventory will live exclusively on their Peacock platform, as well as the Eurosport website and supporting apps. The variety of platforms opens up many more programmatic advertising opportunities – and brands are taking note. According to NBCU executives, the network surpassed the digital advertising revenue earned during previous Games back in April 2024, and $350 million of ad spend came from brands who had never advertised during the Olympics before.

Programmatic ad options open up the Olympics as a marketing opportunity for a much wider range of businesses. During previous Games, only the largest brands with the biggest budgets could afford to run an ad during an Olympics broadcast. Now, with more digital and lower-cost ad spots available, smaller brands can take part and offer viewers a wider range of advertising messages. Dive deeper into the 2024 Olympics’ programmatic advertising options here: https://digiday.com/marketing/how-programmatic-is-opening-up-the-olympics-to-advertisers/