The Best Moments & Memes from the Paris Olympics

going-for-marketing-gold-at-the-paris-olympics

The Best Moments &amp; Memes from the Paris Olympics

[[p]]This year&#39;s Olympics in Paris was a spectacle and the Paralympics are keeping that torch burning bright.With over 10,000 athletes from 196 nations taking part, it embraced the lack of restrictions that posed a challenge for the&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-tokyo-olympics-keeping-the-torch-burning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"]]Tokyo games[[/a]]&nbsp;in 2020.[[/p]]

[[p]]From the awe-inspiring opening ceremony, Celine Dion&rsquo;s big comeback, the ubiquitous presence of Snoop Dogg, chocolate muffins that went viral, to the adrenaline-fuelled basketball finale and the pass-over to Los Angeles, this year&rsquo;s games were nothing short of epic.[[/p]]

[[p]]Post-pandemic, the world is well and truly open and the adoption of&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ai-in-digital-marketing-the-ultimate-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"]]artificial intelligence (AI)[[/a]]&nbsp;is widespread, meaning that brands took their Olympic marketing efforts up a notch.[[/p]]

[[p]]Let&rsquo;s explore the Paris games from a marketing perspective, honing in on the trends and initiatives that kept the torch burning bright.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_76462"]]Inclusive and emotive storytelling took the gold[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_76467"]]The influence of AI in this year&rsquo;s Olympics[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_76486"]]A playing field for brand ambassadors[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_77031"]]The best memes and characters from the Paris Olympics[[/a]][[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]With environmental concerns, social issues, and gender equality on the agenda, we saw brands and sponsors (including Coca-Cola, Omega, and the BBC) stepping up their game to build meaningful narratives that made a deeper impact than hollow sales messaging or snappy ad slogans.[[/p]]

[[p]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/case-studies/nike-always-ahead-of-the-curve" target="_blank"]]Nike[[/a]], for example, collaborated with the Olympic Refugee Foundation to provide uniforms for the Refugee Olympic Team and support the refugee community in Paris. This&nbsp; &lsquo;Watch Where We&rsquo;re Going&rsquo; video offered fresh perspectives on the refugee athletes competing at the games.[[/p]]

[[p]]Sharp, punchy, and powerful, this video-based campaign zeroed in on the hardships and stigma that refugee athletes face.[[/p]]

[[p]]In addition to showcasing the challenges faced by refugee Olympians, Nike succeeded in capturing the sheer grit, determination, and talent of athletes like boxer Cindy Ngamba &ndash; offering its audience a narrative of hope and success in the face of adversity.[[/p]]

[[p]]While the Paris games were the first to have [[a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/genderequalolympics-paris-2024-making-history-on-the-field-of-play" target="_blank"]]full gender parity[[/a]] in all sporting events, brands hired more female athletes to launch marketing campaigns. This also connects to the ever-increasing record ratings for women&#39;s sports in Europe and the U.S.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]While platforms like [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/an-in-depth-look-at-marketing-on-tiktok" target="_blank"]]TikTok[[/a]], Snapchat, and YouTube formed official partnerships with National Olympic Committees and broadcasters to target a younger demographic, sponsors leaned into social media for athlete-led Olympic campaigns, according to SportsPro Media.[[/p]]

[[p]]For starters, Alibaba&rsquo;s AI-powered cloud computing system powered a multi-angled replay system with machine learning capabilities.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Not only did this make the footage more exciting, vivid, and comprehensive &ndash; it also gave brands and marketers a trove of footage to leverage for&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/social-media-strategy" target="_blank"]]social media marketing[[/a]] efforts.[[/p]]

[[p]]Intel also used AI technology to create immersive experiences for fans and athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic games.[[/p]]

[[p]]As the official AI Platform Olympic Partner, Intel weaved autonomous technologies into the fabric of this year&rsquo;s games. Armed with cutting-edge AI innovations, Intel gave athletes access to tools that helped analyze their performance and connect with fellow competitors more intuitively.[[/p]]

[[p]]Ambassadorships with competing athletes are a powerful way for brands to tie their identity to the excitement of the games while connecting with fans on a slightly more human level.[[/p]]

[[p]]There were plenty of brand ambassadors during this year&rsquo;s Olympics, with some of the biggest-hitting names able to reach&nbsp;tens of millions via social media, such as&nbsp;star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra (for Omega), and rugby star Antoine Dupont (LVMH).[[/p]]

[[p]]Brands, including global tire manufacturer Bridgestone, supported Olympians and Paralympians during this year&rsquo;s games by launching their own roster of athletic talent.[[/p]]

[[p]]The mighty Team Bridgestone consisted of 40 athletes from nine countries &ndash; and across 20 sports. This global ambassadorship scheme showcased Bridgestone&rsquo;s core brand values based on accessibility, inclusion, and innovation.[[/p]]

[[p]]Not only did Bridgestone work in collaboration with these elite athletes by promoting them across a multitude of marketing channels &ndash; but they also supplied cutting-edge materials to support the games, including wheelchair hand rims, gloves, and prosthetic running blades.[[/p]]

[[p]]Olympic and Paralympic athletes represented brands as individuals during this year&rsquo;s games &ndash; we&rsquo;ve highlighted three notable figures.[[/p]]

Image of Haven Shepherd as Reese's brand ambassador

[[p]]Paralympian swimmer and Instagram influencer Haven Shepherd of Team USA joined Team Reese&rsquo;s to support the launch of its limited edition &lsquo;Medals&rsquo; chocolate bar and connect with its audience on a deeper level.[[/p]]

[[p]]Despite not being an official sponsor at this year&rsquo;s games, the energy drinks brand teamed up directly with prolific track and field star Noah Lyles to reach a wider audience of sports fans and build a buzz around its products.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Oh, and the fact that Lyles won a gold and bronze medal on the track at this year&rsquo;s games didn&rsquo;t harm Celicius&rsquo; brand reputation.[[/p]]

[[p]]The Paris Olympics and Paralympics showcased a great deal of autonomous innovation, as well as savvy brand partnerships, sponsorship initiatives, and thought-provoking social media content.[[/p]]

[[p]]This year, brands leant into emerging technologies, powerful storytelling, and carefully curated partnerships to cut through the digital noise and take the podium in Paris. And yes, it was an exciting affair.[[/p]]

[[p]]We can&#39;t wait for LA 2028![[/p]]

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[[p]]Fans were able to tailor certain aspects of their viewing experience by connecting with tailored replays and footage highlights across multiple platforms,&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion-in-sports-marketing" target="_blank"]]creating a more inclusive and accessible[[/a]] spectator experience in the process.[[/p]]

[[p]]There was also a host of interactive on-site experiences and digital experiences for spectators and AI-powered touchpoints to help visually impaired fans navigate and experience the Olympic Village in an [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/digital-accessibility-what-marketers-need-to-know" target="_blank"]]accessible[[/a]] way.[[/p]]

[[p]]The inspiring Canadian Paralympic athlete&nbsp; partnered up with Toyota to launch its &lsquo;Start Your Impossible&rsquo; campaign to showcase the sheer commitment, grit, and determination of Paralympians as individuals and as a collective. A powerful message and an equally powerful brand partnership.[[/p]]

[[p]]The 2024 Paris Olympics delivered a treasure trove of memorable moments, which quickly morphed into hilarious social media memes&mdash;and unlikely icons.[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are a few of our personal favourites.[[/p]]

[[p]]Stephen Nedoroscik, the American gymnast, became an instant viral sensation due to his intense facial expressions during his pommel horse routine. His focused look and laser-sharp focus inspired countless memes and GIFs.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]](Editor&#39;s note: we&#39;d just like to&nbsp;mention here that Irish gymnast [[a href="https://olympics.com/en/athletes/rhys-mc-clenaghan"]]Rhys McClenaghan[[/a]] won the gold in superb style).&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The Olympic Village&#39;s chocolate muffins were so popular that they became a meme in their own right.&nbsp; started by Norwegian athlete Henrik Christiansen. Athletes and spectators alike couldn&#39;t get enough of these lip-smacking treats, leading to jokes and comparisons to the legendary "Cronut." &nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]French swimmer L&eacute;on Marchand&#39;s historic achievement of winning gold in two separate events on the same evening (within 2 hours!) sparked a wave of memes celebrating his incredible feat. No small achievement in anyone&rsquo;s book.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]South Korean shooter Kim Yeji&#39;s unique and stylish stance during her competition quickly went viral. Her confidence and poise inspired a series of memes and comparisons to other pop culture icons.[[/p]]

[[p]]Australian breakdancer Dr. Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, became a viral sensation after receiving a zero score in her Olympic debut. Despite the disappointing result, her performance and her positive attitude inspired many.[[/p]]

[[p]]With luxury fashion house LVMH acting as the lead sponsor at the Paris Olympics along with Ralph Lauren, Lulemon, Puma, Nike and Berluci providing outfits to the athletes, it&rsquo;s no surprise the opening and closing ceremonies became a catwalk.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The outfit that caused the biggest stir seemed to be for Mongolia. Created by Ulaanbaatar-based fashion label Michel &amp; Amazonka, the outfits took 20 hours to make and featured intricate details such as the Eiffel Tower, the Olympic flame, and the Mongolian flag&rsquo;s Soyombo symbol.&nbsp;[[/p]]

The Best Moments & Memes from the Paris Olympics

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