Olympics and Paralympics 2024 round-up: Watch the ads

TikTok 'It starts on TikTok' by Akcelo

TikTok is sharing the stories behind some of Team GB's Olympians and Paralympians, including heptathlete Katarina Johnson Thompson, fencer Oliver Lam-Watson, triathlete Laura Steadman MBE, and boxer Delicious Orie, in an online and TV ad that comes as part of its 'It starts on TikTok'. brand platform.

The social media brand has launched the campaign by Akcelo in partnership with Team GB and Paralympics GB. It harnesses the mindset of athletes when it comes to starting new endeavors and celebrates the new things that people can start after discovering them on TikTok.

The 30-second ad comes alongside billboards across the UK showcasing the Olympians and Paralympians' stories, and will include radio and social media elements. The film was produced by Tom Saunders through Armery.

Aoife Moran, sports marketing lead, EU, at TikTok said: "Every day, people come to TikTok and get inspired to try new things. We've seen how this moment of inspiration can snowball into something bigger and can change people's lives. As we look ahead to the Olympics and Paralympics, we wanted to celebrate the power of community, creativity and athletic excellence, and show how our athletes' journeys can inspire people to start something new and embrace their passions."

Toyota 'Impossible vs impossible' by T&Pm

Toyota Great Britain has unveiled its sponsorship idents on Channel 4 for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The campaign, “Impossible vs impossible", showcases the everyday challenges that Paralympians face away from their sport. 

The work, by T&Pm, stars ParalympicsGB athletes Jonnie Peacock, Kadeena Cox, Laurie Williams and Robyn Love. It depicts the challenges that come with bringing up a baby, keeping up with some dogs on a walk and getting a word in round the family dinner table, all featuring Toyota’s mobility products. 

It will air across Channel 4, More 4, Channel 4 streaming and social channels. 

Corona Cero 'Golden venues' by Grey

Alcohol-free lager Corona Cero has created an activation designed to encourage people to celebrate life’s “golden moments” to promote it as the first beer sponsor of the Olympic Games.

The experience, “Golden venues”, opened on 23 July and involves the brand taking over 11 well-known outdoor venues in the UK, Greece, Colombia and Brazil. It was created by a curated global team from creative agency Grey and features the same seats as those being used at some of the Olympic Games venues in Paris, such as on Champ de Mars, Grand Palais and Le Concorde, across various destinations worldwide.

One of the locations is London's Battersea Power Station, where visitors will be offered a complimentary Corona Cero at the nearby Arcade X, on The Coaling Jetty. Corona is also offering free concerts by local bands near several of the "golden venues".

Samsung Galaxy 'Shot control' by Cheil Benelux Worldwide

Samsung Galaxy created an AI performance tool to assist the Dutch national men’s 3x3 basketball team at the Paris Olympics. The sport, which is making its Olympics debut in Paris, is the fastest form of basketball with 10-minute games. 

Created by Cheil Benelux, “Shot Control” is an AI-powered sports analytics tool that provides the 3x3 basketball players with detailed information about their performance. The tool enables coaches and players to understand from which precise spot on the court they have the greatest accuracy as fatigue sets in during a match.

There is also an 80-second film which explains the tool and takes a behind-the-scenes look at how it works during a game. 

Nike 'Winning isn’t for everyone' by Wieden & Kennedy Portland

Nike's Olympics 2024 campaign by Wieden & Kennedy Portland highlights the idea that to be the greatest sportsperson possible requires an emotional drive to win and doesn’t always leave room for niceties.

The 90-second film is made up of clips including LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sha’Carri Richardson, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and A’ja Wilson excelling at their sport, homing in on the determination on their faces while they’re in the game. It is set to a monologue voiced by actor Willem Dafoe, asking the audience to make a character judgment: "Are these athletes bad people?"

The campaign will also run across out of home, currently only in the US, but with plans to expand it to the UK, among other markets.

FIGS 'Anatomy of a Champion' by Mother 

Global medical apparel brand FIGS unveiled its largest campaign to date in honour of the Team USA medical team at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

"Anatomy of a champion", created by Mother, is being led a 60-second film which contrasts the medical team's real-life tasks with a modernised version of nursery rhyme Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. It features 14 healthcare professionals and six athletes, including both current and former Olympians and Paralympians.

The campaign will feature high-profile out-of-home placements in Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia, and FIGS plans to share additional content on social media throughout the Olympics.

Aldi 'Has Kevin met his match?' by McCann Manchester

Aldi mascot Kevin the Carrot has made his first appearance beyond Christmas to show the supermarket’s support of Team GB and ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024 Games.

The campaign, “Has Kevin met his match?”, created by McCann Manchester, stars the sprightly root vegetable in a quest in Paris to replace the missing Olympic torch. British Olympic athletes, including fencer Oliver Lam-Watson, rower Helen Glover, boxer Delicious Orie and gymnast Max Whitlock, help Kevin along on his journey across a 40-second spot narrated by Jim Broadbent and directed by Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick through Psyop.

The creatives behind the campaign were Clive Davis, Andy Fenton, Conrad Robson and Sean Carey.

Visa 'Level up your game’ by Vayner Media EMEA

Visa, the official payment technology partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, has unveiled its campaign promoting the event across Europe.

"Level up your game", created by Vayner Media EMEA, is fronted by Team Visa’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes with a view to encourage everyone to follow their passions. 

The campaign is also designed to embody the brand’s mission to uplift everyone, everywhere, bringing together Team Visa athletes with Gen Z content creators. It includes a 30-second hero film, which features Team Visa athletes Sasha Zhoya (France), Davide Morana (Italy) and Desirée Vila (Spain). 

The film comes alongside a docu-series celebrating the real-life stories of Team Visa athletes, local influencers and local creators in the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Poland. The first episode will feature British paralympic swimmer Adam Peaty fusing his passions of music and swimming, transforming each stroke into a bet. The second episode will show paralympic runner Jonnie Peacock blending running and gaming to create a unique video game.

The docu-series was shot by emerging director Miranda May.

The campaign will run throughout the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will be shown across social media platforms, digital media, video on demand, cinemas and experiential in 20 countries across Europe. Paid media activity for the push is being handled, planned, bought and run by Starcom.

Kim Kadlec, chief marketing officer at Visa Europe, said: “As worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, we wanted to show how our Team Visa athletes are a great example of the power of small steps and how, through perseverance, everyone can follow their dreams. Through partnering our Team Visa athletes with inspiring Gen Z content creators, we hope the hero film and docu-series empowers everyone to feel enabled to level up their game, no matter what their passion.”

Visa has sponsored the Olympic Movement since 1986 and became the first global partner of the International Paralympic Committee in 2003.

Allwyn "Paris 2024" by Leo Burnett UK

Allwyn unveiled its first campaign by Leo Burnett in collaboration with Hearts & Science for the National Lottery parent brand. 

"Paris 2024", by Leo Burnett UK, celebrates the impact of good causes funding on Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes, made possible by National Lottery players. 

Central to the campaign is a 30-second TV spot, directed by Zac Ella through Agile Films, that shows how every ticket purchased can make a difference. The ad juxtaposes archival footage of athletes at previous Games with everyday scenes of people. 

The BBC 'Welcome to the city of love' by BBC Creative

The BBC is celebrating the city of love in its campaign for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“Welcome to the city of love”, by BBC Creative, is a 60-second animation, which draws parallels between romantic love and the love athletes have for their sports. The film, directed by Fx Goby, is made up of shots of athletes training for the games, illustrating the challenges they face as well as the rewards.

It comes alongside out-of-home posters promoting the BBC's Olympics programming, which turn romantic clichés into a celebration of the passion and dedication that Team GB and other athletes are bringing to the games.

Warner Bros Discovery 'Break free' by AKQA London

Warner Bros Discovery launched a pan-European campaign on 8 July ahead of its coverage of the 2024 Olympics.

“Break free” is designed to celebrate the city of Paris and encourage sports fans to enjoy the Olympics however they choose. It will run in 50 European countries and in 20 different languages across TV, digital out of home, radio, social media, display and print. 

The 60-second film, created by AKQA London, also aims to bring the scope, scale and spectacle of the Olympics to life, as well as emphasise how viewers can follow the action on streaming platforms Max, HBO Max and Discovery+.

Eurostar 'Let the games begin' by Adam & Eve/DDB and DDB Paris

Eurostar's campaign for the upcoming Paris Olympics is led by a film starring comedian Tom Allen. It is designed to drive ticket sales for Eurostar, while highlighting that the cross-Channel train operator is the official travel partner for Team GB and ParalympicsGB.

The 20-second film, "Let the games begin", was created by Adam & Eve/DDB and DDB Paris. It features Allen alongside Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes and travellers on their journeys to the French capital.

The International Olympic Committee '1 in 100 million' by Gravity Road

The International Olympic Committee has released the next stage of its push to support the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.

Olympian Yusra Mardini recalled her escape from Syria during the civil war and competing for the first Refugee Olympic Team in Rio in 2016 during an appearance at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June. This preceded the announcement of the second phase of the IOC’s campaign, created by Gravity Road.

In the second stage of the campaign, global digital and outdoor executions aim to drive awareness of the campaign, as well as a TikTok-promoted video campaign across Europe and the US. Snap has also produced a dedicated Snap lens, which reacts to fans making a heart shape with their hands. The motion mirrors the heart used in the team emblem.

Coca-Cola 'It's magic when the world comes together' by WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy

Cola-Cola's global campaign for the 2024 Olympics focuses on hugs.

“It's magic when the world comes together”, created by WPP Open X and led by Ogilvy, depicts competing swimmers hugging each other to celebrate the potential for cross-cultural connection during this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. 

The 60-second film shows the swimmers competing in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke race, and moves on to scenes of people around the world watching the race while drinking Coca-Cola, including in bars, on basketball courts and alongside working in a kitchen. It leads to an entire audience of spectators due to watch a swimming race then embracing one another, and ends with two astronauts hugging as they float around in space.

The film is being supported by digital content capturing real-time hugs from Paris and broadcasting them on social channels.

Coca-Cola has also created a new can design as part of the push, which is available only in France. People purchasing a pair of the cans also have the opportunity to win a range of prizes, unique merchandise and coupons.

The International Paralympic Committee 'The Paralympic dream' by Adam & Eve/DDB

The International Paralympic Committee and Adam & Eve/DDB released a campaign for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games that strives to dispel perceptions of the competition as a harmonious get-together.

Set to the tune of Paul McCartney’s We All Stand Together, the 60-second spot “The Paralympic dream” is cartoon that shows characters firing arrows in pairs and running across a finishing line holding hands. The words “They’re not playing games” appear on the screen before a montage of hardcore sporting moments, including powerlifting and clashing wheelchairs.