The Olympics have always ignited passion and a sense of camaraderie among sports fans around the globe, but the 2024 Paris Games, taking place July 26 to Aug. 11, may inspire even more fanfare than usual. The last time the world witnessed the Summer Olympics, it wasn’t at stadiums in Tokyo where the event was held, or at related sponsor activations, but from the solitude of their homes.
During the 2020 Summer Games (held in 2021 as a result of COVID), nearly all spectators were banned, while longstanding international sponsors such as Visa and P&G scaled back or eliminated on-the-ground activations. Even on U.S. soil, brands created virtual programs or small gatherings that didn’t quite speak to the magnitude of the Olympics and what they represent.
Flash-forward to 2024, and not only has the world returned to its pre-pandemic state, this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the biggest event ever organized in France, taking place across 35 venues and drawing 15 million spectators and 10,500 athletes. And for the first time in Olympics history, the Opening Ceremony will not be held in a stadium. Rather, a parade of athletes will sail down the Seine as spectators observe from the riverbanks.
Equally important, consumer interest in this year’s event is high. According to a Forrester poll of adults within its online market research community, 41 percent plan to follow the 2024 Paris Games very or fairly closely. And for sponsors, there’s nothing quite like a captive audience. So as the Olympics approach, check out a preview of the experiential activity taking place across the event with our rolling coverage.
ATHLETA
Gap-owned Athleta is focusing its Summer Olympics campaign on female athletes with a series of activations in Paris that include panel conversations in partnership with other women-led brands, like The Female Quotient and Goop, in addition to movement-centric classes.
Over in the U.S., the brand will host workouts during the games at stores in nine markets, and run an initiative tied to its “Power of She” platform that involves making postcards available in its stores for consumers to write notes about women they admire. For each postcard that’s filled out, the company will donate a dollar to The Power of She Fund, which provides grants to women and girls in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation.
CANADA HOUSE
National hospitality houses at the Olympics were once landing points for athletes, support staff and families. But over the years, they’ve evolved into ecosystems for partnerships and engagement. At the Summer Games, national houses are expected to make a grand post-pandemic return—among them, Canada Olympic House.
“La Maison Olympique du Canada” will feature more than a dozen partner activations and collaborations, including a Lululemon pop-up shop (the brand is outfitting the nation’s athletes this year); a Canadian Tire Celebration Arena for special events; a Petro-Canada Living Leaf installation that will “connect fans in Paris to fans back home”; a Toyota “Start Your Impossible” postcard station and photo op; an Air Canada Flight Deck patio; and a Mondelēz “Create Your Athlete Card” experience. Read more about the program here. (Agency: Mosaic)
COCA-COLA
Coca-Cola has been an Olympics sponsor for nearly 100 years, and for this year, the company has plans to infiltrate more than 70 markets with programs centered around the 2024 Paris Games. The brand will focus heavily on engaging consumers through experiences like in-store trials.
In Paris, Coke will spotlight Powerade and the brand’s “Pause is Power” platform. The effort is part of a global campaign launching in 30 markets that spans social, TV, activations and limited-edition products. On the ground, Powerade will provide athletes with a place to mentally and physically prepare for competition in the Olympic Village. Developed in collaboration with the IOC, the activation will serve as a respite offering virtual visualization practices and “safe spaces for conversations around mental health.” Powerade will also introduce Powerade Gold, a flavor specially designed for the Paris Games.
FOOT LOCKER
Foot Locker is going big for the Summer Games with a robust campaign that will be brought to life at a range of locations across France and the U.S. The brand is taking a phygital approach in Paris, with 10 immersive experiences available across nine stores around the city powered by AR. The platform can be unlocked beginning July 26 via QR codes located near Foot Locker retail stores and is billed as a digital adventure that transforms the streets of Paris and invites consumers to participate in challenges and earn interactive XPoints to redeem online and in-store on a range of products.
The brand will also be teaming up with New Balance to recruit creatives who will host a variety of workshops across its Paris stores every weekend throughout the games. Think: a basketball program in Bastille, a stylism workshop in Beaugrenelle, a music program in Rivoli and a wellness event in Le Marais.
LVMH
LVMH is another brand implementing a wide-reaching Summer Olympics campaign themed around its mission, The Art of Crafting Dreams. LVMH brands including Berluti, Chaumet, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy and Sephora will all be featured.
As Official Partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays, Sephora is playing a major role in LVMH’s approach. The brand launched a series of events at 46 of its retail locations along the Torch Relay route, where its “soufflerie” system offered consumers a chance to win beauty products and tickets to the Summer Games.
Sephora also activated celebration zones in four French cities along the Torch Relay route (Bordeaux, Nice, Lille and Paris) with pop-up experiences designed to celebrate the connection between beauty and sports, and featuring “artistic” co-creation events and makeup services.
Photo: Courtesy of Paris 2024
PROCTER & GAMBLE
Procter & Gamble is essentially the OG Olympics sponsor and its agenda for the 2024 Games makes that very clear: More than 30 of its household and personal care brands—including Pampers, Gillette, Always, Fairy, Mielle and Oral-B—are providing complimentary products and services to 22,000-plus Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and their staff, in the Olympic Village.
The VIPs will be treated to a Beauty & Grooming Salon, laundry rooms, a dental clinic and athlete welcome kits that come in reusable, Paris-themed bags and are chock-full of P&G health and hygiene products. P&G brands are also activating in-store and online programs with more than 150 retailers across the world.
The biggest headline this year? The debut of the Pampers Nursery. The concept is the brainchild of Allyson Felix, the retired track and field legend who holds 11 Olympic medals and serves on the IOC Athletes Commission. Felix teamed up with the brand to create a comfortable and convenient space for athlete moms to nurse and privately bond with their babies, which, she says, should remove one of the external pressures of competing. Naturally, the nursery will be equipped with ample Pampers diapers and baby wipes.
SAMSUNG
Samsung got started early on its Paris Games programming with the May 3 opening of Olympic Rendezvous @ Samsung, located on the city’s historic avenue and shopping mecca, Champs-Élysées. The space was designed in partnership with architect Jean Nouvel and inspired by Parisian salons.
Visitors are invited to take an AI-powered journey that highlights the brand’s AI-equipped Galaxy smartphone. Attendees can participate in activities like an interactive Paris-themed photo zone where they can shoot and edit photos using Photo Assist to remove objects and reflections, and test out the Live Translate feature, which can be used to navigate around the city.
There’s also a mobile skateboarding game, a breakdancing experience with FlexCam, a chance to create custom phone straps made from discarded fishing nets and a display showcasing how Samsung technology has evolved from one Olympics event to the next. Influencers have also stopped by Olympic Rendezvous to share content creation tips, and Galaxy AI workshops are also part of the mix.
UBER
Uber has literally jumped into uncharted waters with the debut of its water transportation services, rolling out in several European cities this summer. The initiative strategically kicked off in Paris with the unveiling of Uber Cruise. From July 12 to Aug. 3, consumers can enjoy a free one-hour cruise along the Seine that allows them to take in the city’s iconic sites without battling the throngs of people in town for the games. The all-electric boat tour offers views of landmarks such as Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, and includes a complimentary glass of wine.
Photo: Courtesy of Uber
