Snapshot 2: Winter Olympics 2010
With the Winter Olympics now past the midway point, battles for consumer attention away from the action on the snow and ice are well and truly underway. Click on the brand names below to view some of the activity that we’ve already monitored at Xtreme:
Samsung appear to be the most prolific ATL advertiser among the official sponsors. It is running Olympic related creative across Europe to leverage its status as an IOC sponsor, promoting handsets including Jet and Omnia, and showcasing its live TV facilities. In the US, co-branded ads with AT&T highlight the live footage available via the network and its Mystic handset – interestingly in the States the brand chooses to focus on its association with the US Olympic team rather than its IOC deal.
P&G, a Team USA sponsor, as opposed to IOC or Vanoc partner, has adopted an increasingly common multibrand strategy, with 18 of its brands combining with the corporate brand in an effort that also includes P&G’s first corporate TV ad in the U.S. Appealing to its core ‘Moms’ market the emotive TVC broke during the opening ceremony featuring a collection of children, playing out scenes from the Winter Olympics from the opening ceremony to injury disappointments and medal winning success. Budweiser, another Team USA sponsor, has thus far taken a slightly less imaginative approach, instead focusing on the thrills and excitement of the Games, a method also used by Asahi in Japan, which is the official beer brand of Japan’s Olympic team
A common and relatively inexpensive approach brands can take to leverage the Games is to partner with broadcasters, an option both BMW and Goodyear have taken with NBC.
Of the guerrilla activity, electronics retailer Euronics is parodying Curling in a humourous, and somewhat bizarre, TVC across Europe where stones have been replaced with the latest HD TV sets….
In the UK, other than the aforementioned Samsung activity, Omega has probably been the most prolific of the IOC sponsors, with short TVCs highlighting its status as the official timekeeper of 24 Olympic Games. And it wouldn’t be Winter Olympic season without a brand trotting out our most infamous Winter Olympian, Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, who is currently staring in ads for insurance brand Churchill. And from the ridiculous to the sublime, we congratulate Amy Williams on her sensational gold medal win in the skeleton on Friday, making her the first British solo gold medallist in 30 years. Does an endorsement deal now beckon?
Nice short video featuring Visa’s CMO, Antonio Lucio, talking about Visa’s strategy in Vancouver and the prospects for 2012. Some of the interesting things he points out:
- The brand is pursuing an athlete centred strategy to communicate its association with the Games
- Visa benefits from 20 years of global sponsorships that allows it to closely track the impact of featuring Olympics-related themes in its advertising on business performance
- It takes a fairly cautious approach, focusing on benefits and promotions
- Go World specifically tells stories to help lift and inspire people, amidst gloomy economic conditions
With thanks to the blog sportsmarketing.fr
Blessed with clear skies and sunshine, I took up the ODA’s offer of a complimentary guided bus tour around the London 2012 Olympic Park on Saturday. With the games still over 900 days away things aren’t quite complete just yet, but progress, our knowledgeable tour guide informed us, is currently ahead of schedule. After passing the vast media centre, our first main port of call was the Velodrome or ‘The Pringle’ as our guide referred to it (rumours of a covert naming rights deal between P&G and LOCOG remain unfounded). Following a drive past the Athletes’ Village, it was then onto perhaps the most impressive looking of emerging structures, the Aquatics Centre, with its achitecturally stunning 2,800 tonne wave-shaped roof already in place.
Branding is thus far fairly minimal, although the sponsors’ logos do appear at the entrance and exit to the park and alongside signage near the main Olympic stadium itself (flanked by information about the 2012 Olympics and the wider Olympic movement). Our guide also pointed us in the direction of the sponsors’ area (click here for pic) where there is evidently still some work to be done.
The tour was thoroughly enjoyable and if you’d like to see a little bit of history in the making, booking details can be found here - http://golondon.about.com/od/london2012olympics/a/Olympic-Park-Tour.htm
To see more pics from the tour, click here.
The official kit of Team GB’s 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games campaign was unveiled this week by adidas, the official sportswear supplier of the team. Athletes from the team, including bobsleigh competitor Nicola Minichiello and short-track speed-skating podium hopeful John Eley, were present to model the kits at a public ice-skating event, held at London’s Somerset House.
adidas used revolutionary 3D technology never before used in the UK to turn the location into a giant block of ice, which then exploded to reveal the team in their newly-kitted glory. The brand’s ‘Impossible is Nothing’ mantra was also prevalent, written on the site of the building and over a specially set up ice skating rink with projectors.
Visitors also had the chance to check out Team GB’s slick looking black bobsleigh, complete with adidas branding and the official Team GB lion’s head insignia.
As a rule, us Brits are never that enthralled by the Winter Olympics – mainly because we’re not very good at winter sports – but there appears to be more interest in next month’s games, perhaps partly as this is the last Olympic meeting before London. The BBC is certainly trying to arouse interest via its beautifully animated promo. If you haven’t seen it, check it out here courtesy of our friends at The Reel.
Vancouver has less than one month to go until its edition of the Winter Games gets underway (24 days at the time of typing), and so momentum is gathering in terms of Olympic related advertising and marketing.
A small snapshot of some of the activity that we’ve already monitored at Xtreme include;
IOC partner Coca-Cola is launching a campaign in the US featuring limited edition cans (no surprises there) and integrating its loyalty/rewards programme, mycokerewards.com
Another IOC partner, Visa, has stuck by its ‘Go World’ campaign that it served in 2008, with a more icey veneer but a still warm Morgan Freeman voice over (something that has won a – very small – army of fans on facebook)
Switzerland Olympic Team partner Swisscom taking a somewhat increasingly common creative approach (adidas / Halifax) to ride participants to the tournament on a wave of people
Guerilla activity is also alive and well, as this advert from Subway with their seemingly redeemed wonderboy Michael Phelps swimming his way through bricks and mortar to Canada would seem to suggest. In Canada itself, yoga apparel brand Lululemon is courting significant controversy with the launch of a clothing line named “Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 and 2011 Edition” and by offering free yoga lessons over the course of the event.
Over the coming weeks we’ll keep the blog updated with some of the eye-catching creative work of brands for the Games that crops up on the Xtreme Information service.
If you’ve any thoughts about what you’ve seen so far, please feel free to comment below…
Will Coke’s use of mycokerewards.com help it to fend off any ambush activity from the likes of Pepsi?
Can summer sports stars in any way offer a route to Winter Olympic relevance?
Our series of key marcomms trends for London 2012 continues with a look at how quickly brands are turning round sports related activity
Two campaigns from Beijing that caught our eye had more to do with the swiftness in which they were delivered than for outstanding creative work. The ads – chronicling the euphoria and despair that the Olympics constantly deliver – came from Visa and Nike and featured their star endorsers Michael Phelps and Liu Xiang.
Visa ran a pretty-ordinary Michael Phelps spot as part of its Go World campaign prior to and during the games, however after Phelps clinched his seventh gold medal of 2008 in the 200m freestyle, which made him the most decorated Olympian of all time with a staggering 10 gold medals, the brand was quick to trumpet his remarkable achievement.
In the immediate commercial break after the record breaking victory had aired on US TV, Visa rolled out a promo congratulating Phelps on his accomplishment which included footage from Beijing and Morgan Freeman exclaiming: ‘Congratulations Michael, on having won more gold medals than anybody…ever’
While the ad was of course pre-planned by Visa (had Phelps not won gold it planned to show another from the campaign) it was undeniably pertinent and captured the celebratory mood not only of a proud nation, but of a world amazed by one man’s sporting prowess. What was also impressive was that footage of Phelps from the previous day had been incorporated into the commercial.
And proving how on the ball it was with its Olympic marketing strategy, it produced another low latency campaign when Phelps secured his eighth gold medal of Beijing the next day. Again, capturing the mood superbly, Freeman, rather like the rest of the world, was somewhat lost for words by Phelps’ astounding medal haul.
Nike was confronted with the more arduous task of responding to Olympic failure – that of star Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang who limped out of the Birds Nest Stadium, unable to compete due to injury. The brand’s response was prompt, running ads in all the major Chinese papers the following day, which featured a solemn looking Xiang alongside the copy ‘Love Sport Even When it Breaks Your Heart’. While Nike probably knew about Xiang’s injury and may have had the execution ready in case this situation arose, it nevertheless adeptly capitalised on the country’s collective grief and disappointment.
And with more brands producing low latency campaigns (such as Bet 365 with its in-play football odds), we expect this to be a feature of the marketing surrounding London 2012 as brands look to connect with sports fans in almost real-time.
…and to celebrate the season of goodwill, we’re giving a little present of our own – our OlympicWatch Beijing to London report.
Featuring interviews with key marketing personnel and campaign analysis from leading sponsors and guerilla brands, this fully interactive report examines the marketing activity at last year’s Olympics to provide insight and inspiration for brands and agencies that will be activating Olympic campaigns in the run up to 2012.
To receive your complimentary copy simply email matthew.carlton@xtremeinsight.net and we’ll send one over to you
Those who’ve had enough of hearing about or seeing Tiger Woods recently should perhaps pay attention when the commercial breaks on American TV start to roll.
This is the one place you can currently be assured of not seeing him as there have been no prime-time TV ads featuring Woods since a 30-second Gillette spot on November 29, two days after the car crash which ultimately exposed his ‘transgressions’. The Woods saga has prompted many to speculate on his declining brand value and whether he’ll ever be the same draw to sponsors who helped him become the first sports (dollar) billionaire.
Woods-fronted marketing campaigns from the likes of Gillette, Nike, Tag Heuer, Accenture and AT&T have more often than not been modelled on his immaculate performance both on and off the golf course. Can any of these brands use his indiscretions to their advantage? Nike has never been shy to back a ‘bad boy’ (think Cantona, McEnroe) but even it may be hard pressed to turn this one around, especially when Woods is being mocked by comedians, newspapers and even mascots at sports grounds. Will he issue a grovelling public apology as Michael Phelps did in China following the ‘bong-gate’ scandal?
While there is undoubtedly always an element of risk involved, brands must always choose sporting ambassadors deftly and ensure they are the right fit, while scandals, such as adultery or brushes with the law, a loss of form, or long-term injury can all hamper public appeal. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to 2012. Can a brand be sure their investment will pay dividends (a la Puma and Bolt) or could a well structured campaign fall flat because of an endorser’s injury or, worse still, a failed drugs test?
When Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang had to withdraw from the Beijing Olympics due to injury, it wasn’t just the Chinese public who were distraught. Xiang was the nation’s poster boy and was backed by a staggering 17 brands by the time the Games began. While some stood by him as he battled backed from injury (notably Nike and Amway), others failed to renew deals. Marketing wise, Xiang was unquestionably over exposed and his numerous deals led to profile clutter that many brands couldn’t cut-through. Indeed, consumer research in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics suggested that the Chinese could not decipher who he promoted as he was fronting so many campaigns. Could the same thing happen to our own Sir Chris Hoy? Cycling’s golden boy from Beijing is currently racking up the endorsement deals, including adidas, Asda, Highland Spring, Bran Flakes and BT.
Of course the big stars will always attract the attention from the big brands, but sponsors and guerrilla marketers would be wise to start doing their homework now as to who the potential stars of 2012 may be. And once ambassadors have been decided, the next phase is to ensure star-fronted campaigns stand out from the abundance of sport-themed marcoms that will dominate the advertising landscape in 2012.
Another in our series of 12 Trends for 2012, looks at how some brands are investing in specific Olympic sports to create cut-through and build equity.
At this week’s Battle of Big Thinking, an event created by Campaign Magazine and the APG (this edition was the fourth), Andrew Hogan of British Gas told the attendees about his company’s recent moves to support swimming in Britain.
Whilst the Olympics weren’t directly referenced in his speech, it’s undoubtedly no coincidence that the 2008 Games not only saw the swimming team better its target set by UK Sport by winning six medals, but aso witnessed the birth of a new ‘national treasure’ in double gold medal winner Rebecca Adlington.
As a non-sponsor of LOCOG, British Gas stands nonetheless to benefit from the rising profile of the sport through its Olympic successes. Capitalising on the potential and future expectation for 2012, the former national energy supplier is now the principal sponsor of British Swimming, a partnership which sees the company involved in both professional and grassroots initiatives (the deal is said to be worth £15 million over six years). During his presentation, Hogan spoke proudly of the brand’s investment in ‘pop-up pools‘, an initiative designed to help schools that can’t afford to bus children to and from local pools with the opportunity to provide pupils with a swimming experience (swimming is part of the national curriculum).
Ten schools nationwide benefited from a pop up pool in 2009 – a number that might leave you feeling underwhelmed given the coverage that has been generated. But it does demonstrate the power of creative and inclusive grassroots initiatives (especially those that can highlight apparent shortcomings in public policy).
Hoy and Pendleton
Similarly, Sky (which is also not a LOCOG sponsor) is a sponsor of British Cycling, leveraging the ongoing successes (from the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton) in the velodrome and on the streets. Its logo now adorns the national colours of British cyclists at UCI events, whilst like British Gas it has taken activity to ‘grassroots’ levels with its well known city centre ‘Skyrides‘.
Building equity in these two sports that offer potential and (vitally) personality has provided a route for these two brands to piggy-back Olympic success, whilst also avoiding clutter. Their challenge now is to continue to build and then maintain the momentum for when summer 2012 arrives.
While this blog’s focus is on the marketing activity surrounding London 2012, we’ll also be offering more than a sideways glance at the other sporting events between now and the Olympics. And this week we visited the ATP Masters at London’s O2 Arena where sponsors hit the crowd (and the global TV millions) with a marketing assault as fierce as a Federer return.
With 11 official sponsors and partners all jostling for attention, branding was understandably pushy and a far cry from the serenity and subtle marketing the British public are used to at Wimbledon. Headline sponsor Barclays utilised its extensive activation rights to simultaneously create branded experiences and heighten awareness of its commendable Spaces for Sport CSR drive. Those mooching around the practice courts had the chance to have their image superimposed into a shot with some of the world’s leading players including Federer, Nadal and British No. 1 Andy Murray while the brand’s Bluecasting service offered exclusive tennis content sent directly to mobiles and laptops. Barclays also gave spectators the opportunity to take on a former Wimbledon champion…albeit on the Wii as Goran Ivanisevic had a go at digital tennis in the concourses prior to Monday’s Nadal v Soderling clash.
Gold sponsor Lacoste erected in-venue pop-up shops and kitted out the courtside ball girls. However the girls evident lack of training – which caused Robin Soderling to complain – perhaps gave the brand some unwanted attention. Far more succesful was its Challenge Booth where visitors had a chance to win final tickets by returning a virtual Roddick serve.
The event’s ‘American-razzmatazz’ feel and the venue’s extensive courtside LCD facilities provided sponsors the chance to stand out, particularly when the lights were dimmed as players paused for a break. And broadcast partner Sky Sports capitalised on this, significantly pushing its tennis coverage and achieving ample exposure with some games also being screened live on the BBC.
While tennis purists might not have approved, London 2012 sponsors will have been interested spectators as they consider how they can utilise their activation rights at the O2* which will stage Gymnastics, Trampoline, and Basketball at the Olympics and Wheelchair Basketball at the Paralympics.
See more photos from this event here
* Please note, the venue the will be referred to as The North Greenwich Arena 1 by the IOC and LOCOG as O2 aren’t an official sponsor. Rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?
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