Everyone loves the Olympics and 2024 is proving to be as profitable as it is heartwarming. In addition to athletes breaking world records, NBC appears to be breaking advertising records. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will set a new record for advertising revenue for NBC, topping Tokyo 2020’s $1.25 billion haul and almost doubling the revenue generated by the Tokyo and Rio 2016 Games combined.
Mark Marshall, NBC Universal’s chairman of global advertising and partnerships says “The 2024 Paris Games have delivered a uniquely powerful halo for brands at an incredible scale with a highly engaged and passionate audience.” According to NBC, first-time Olympic sponsors will generate nearly half a billion dollars in ad revenue for the 2024 games.
Digital advertising also played a major role in the 2024 games, with around 25% of ad revenue coming from digital platforms. This is more than double its contribution in Tokyo. According to Marshall, this share is also expected to grow to 35% – 40% for Los Angeles 2028.
Paris 2024 is also the first games where programmatic digital spots were made available to advertisers. This is huge and gives small and medium-sized businesses better access to Olympic-sized advertising impact.
The best ads from Paris 2024
Every four years the Olympics bring the world together and on this global stage, advertisers have brought their a-game. With a record-setting turn-out, advertisers have shown up not just in numbers, but in quality. These are our favorite ads from this year’s Olympic coverage.
Google: Dear Sydney
This ad is a master class in emotional marketing. This ad tells a beautiful story of a little girl being inspired by record-breaking Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. It also highlights a supportive father and how he uses Google’s technology to encourage his daughter in her long-term goal of one day out-doing her hero.
Nulo: Every Dream They Hold
Nulo takes the traditional, expected Olympic ad and turns it on its head. After all, what do all great Olympians have in common? A love for their pets. This ad also features engaging cameos from some of the world’s favorite athletes, including Simone Biles herself.
Coca-Cola: It’s Magic When the World Comes Together
This ad beautifully highlights the goal of the Olympic Games – to bring the world together. Featuring high-intensity sports clips and scenes from audiences at cafes and restaurants across the world, Coco-Cola shows the heart-warming togetherness that the Olympics create.
Knix: Sport Your Period
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe brings this ad to life and delivers its key message – we need to talk about periods. This ad invites high-level athletes from around the world to step up and normalize period talk. From its powerful message to its celebrity endorsements, this ad has everything it needs to have an impact.
OMEGA – Official Timekeeper of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
While this ad is everything you’d expect from an Olympic ad, it does it flawlessly. The ad has powerful, tense music. It has bold, strong imagery. This ad does exactly what it is supposed to do and it executes it perfectly – just like an olympian landing a coveted spot at the top of the podium.
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