How advertisers can win at the Olympics

The Olympics begin this week. NBCUniversal has set an Olympic advertising record this year with $1.2 billion worth of ads booked. 

As an advertising venue, the Olympics are a tricky proposition, with lots of limitations but also opportunities.

Back in the day the Olympics were like the Super Bowl – you tuned to one network and you saw what the network bigwigs decided you should see.  It’s different now, with multiple events on multiple channels and online.  Viewers can customize their experience in a way that isn’t possible for any other sporting event.

So, as an advertiser, you can target your messages quite precisely.  What you say to an audience watching the finals of the 100-meter dash might not be the same message you deliver to people watching preliminary rounds of dressage.

A challenge, though, is that it is difficult to stand out.  For one thing, many brands take the safe route and offer ads about achievement or how sport brings us all together, which can feel trite. And there are some limitations to how creative a brand can get. Adweek mentions one spot that was quashed because it focused on the concept of time, which the International Olympic Committee believed stepped on the toes of the watch brand Omega, a longtime sponsor.

One intriguing ad I have seen already is (somewhat unsurprisingly) from Nike – “Winning Isn’t for Everyone. Am I a Bad Person?” 

It focuses on the obsessive, somewhat antisocial traits required to be the best of the best.  It’s obviously about achievement, but presented in a very unusual way.

Have you seen any sneak peeks of Olympic advertising that has caught your eye?