After a false start and many ongoing barriers, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were a standout. There were many ‘firsts’ at these games. This made them memorable and didn’t stop sponsors and advertisers from getting involved with a chance to connect with a captive viewing audience (with many states in lockdown!). Australian ad spend for the Tokyo Games surpassed spend for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio - and for most, it was money well spent.
As the dust settles on the Olympic closing ceremony we are already seeing that there were a number of successful brand stories and compelling campaigns. Our analysis of 12 of the key campaigns has revealed that HP and Toyota are the gold medal winners.
HP used the Olympics to communicate its goal of becoming the world’s ‘most sustainable and just technology company’. The ad, Parallel Lives, was the most effective of all the ads we tested, addressing the threat of climate change. It shows how HP uses ‘ocean-bound plastic’ in its portfolio of products.
This message resonates strongly at this time; almost 80% said they feel more positive about brands that take a stance on the environment and sustainability. After watching Parallel Lives almost 90% agreed that HP is leading the way in supporting the environment.
The other most successful ad at the Olympics this year was Toyota’s Breaking Point. The ad told the story of how the Toyota product team worked with Paralympian Ryley Batt to re-engineer his wheelchair. The highly original ad attracted Attention and viewers were engaged by Ryley’s performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnNo4UpeAws
Overall the ads that won at the games did so by:
- Showing Empathy
- Being relatable
- Stood out
- Building Positive Brand Feelings
- Making the brand the star performer
