'Games Wide Open': How brands are turning Paris into one giant Olympic ad

Paris is poised to host the most anticipated Olympic Games in recent history. Not just because it's the global capital of culture, attracting a staggering 44 million tourists in 2022 alone, but because Paris 2024 represents the first post-pandemic Games since Rio 2016. With over 8.6 million tickets sold as of July 18th, the pent-up demand from fans worldwide is palpable.

But the real battleground lies in the fight for brand narrative and consumer attention. A record-breaking 15 top partners (16 if you count Mengniu, sharing a category with Coca-Cola) are vying for their share of the Olympic spotlight.

It’s the highest level of Olympic partnership with global rights, including heritage brands like Visa, Omega, and Panasonic, more recent additions of Airbnb and Alibaba, and first-time sponsors Deloitte and Anheuser-Busch. They are accompanied by 70 Paris 2024 partners that have domestic rights for these Games, not forgetting the many hundreds of sponsors of National Olympic Committees and personal sponsors of over 11,000 athletes.

As records are broken on the field of play, brands are looking to create their own Olympic history as they go head-to-head IRL in Paris and through traditional and digital/social media. This 'brand competition' is playing out across key arenas:

Purpose

It's not just about logos anymore. Brands are aligning themselves with The Paris 2024 Organising Committee’s claim of ‘Games Wide Open.’ This aligns with France's core values—liberty, equality, fraternity—and serves as a testing ground to try out innovative, sustainable and inclusive solutions that serve society. 

The end result is the goal of making Paris 2024 the greenest Games in Olympic history, with half of the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Olympic Partners have a role in supporting these aims: Coca-Cola aims to reduce its plastic use by 50% through beverage fountains (700 across sites); P&G is crafting medal podiums from recycled plastic. While it is still early days for Deloitte, they talk about a ‘partnership with purpose’ based on Deloitte’s business acumen to help realise the IOC’s strategic roadmap as set out in Agenda 2020+5.

The IOC’s “1 in 100 million” highlights the social issues of displacement, hardship and bravery of refugees while at the same time highlighting that inclusivity is at the heart of the Olympic Spirit.

Visa is uplifting a new generation through sport by partnering with Sport Dans La Ville in Paris to support youth through sport and job readiness, funding new sports centres and a girls mentorship program.

Social Media

Get ready for a creator takeover. With a record number of influencers descending upon Paris, expect behind-the-scenes access and engaging content tailored for Gen Z and millennials. It isn’t surprising that NBC invited 27 creators between TikTok, Snap, YouTube, Meta and Overtime to create original content. By doing so, influencers will be changing how the Olympics are consumed and, more importantly, creating greater connectivity with these younger audiences—a massive win for the IOC.

Athlete centric campaigns

More than 11,000 athletes, each with a story to tell, represent a powerful platform for brands. Brands play a big role in supporting athletes on their journeys to each Olympic Games: through the supply of services, through campaigns that help to build their profile, or through employment opportunities—and Paris is no exception. Take, for example, Deloitte, which has focused on 19 Deloitte professionals who are also elite athletes. Or Airbnb’s Athlete Travel Grant, which has supported over 1,000 athletes with travel grants of $2,000 to use for accommodations while training or qualifying. Or Visa, which has a Team Visa roster of over 140 athletes who not only receive funding but also financial literacy advice.

Culture

The Games are bigger than sports. Paris will undoubtedly live up to this and further demonstrate that the Games are a global cultural event, not just a sport.

The sporting lineup is more culturally diverse than ever with the inclusion of Breaking. The music, fashion, and art influences this will bring, combined with the overall Paris vibe, ensure an inclusive Games open to all.

The first alcohol brand at the TOP table, Corona Cero, is celebrating ‘for every golden moment’ by creating fan zones in 11 locations worldwide. Selected for either their remarkable sunsets, scenic beauty or cultural significance, these spaces encourage fans to reconnect with nature and give them the opportunity to embrace their own golden moments every day.

Visa’s Street Artist campaign brings to life authentic flavours of Parisian lifestyle harnessed in the VisaGo App to promote small businesses in the Saint Denis area in Paris.

Field of play

Even with restrictions on in-venue branding and a ‘clean stadia’ approach, brands are finding creative ways to make their presence known. 

Omega timing technology has always been branded, from the starter gun to the last lap bell to the timing display in the athletics stadium to the logo ident in the broadcast. Panasonic’s presence appears through AV supply on the mega screens in stadia, and even Atos, the IT integrator, has delivered significant brand exposure through the accreditation lanyards around the athletes' necks when on the podium.

In Paris, there will be a greater brand presence around the podium, with Louis Vuitton’s Damier (checkerboard) branded medal trays and Samsung enabling a new view of the medal ceremony. Athletes will take and share a victory selfie directly from the podium using the Galaxy Z Flip6 phone.

As the lines between sport, culture, and brand purpose continue to blur, one thing is certain: the fight for Olympic glory has taken on a whole new meaning. We predict more activity than previous Games as official partners look to bring to life their supply story to help support athletes.

Charles Jefferson is the SVP at 160over90.