The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris were the largest and most significant games in the past few decades—for both advertisers and viewers. The ten brands featured in this text achieved the highest reach with their Olympic campaigns, according to Samba TV data.
NBCUniversal announced that this year it generated the highest advertising revenue in its history for the Olympic Games. It secured more advertisers than at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics combined, with nearly $500 million (€450 million) invested by new sponsors.
Samba TV also reported that 9.9 million American households watched the opening ceremony either live or via delayed broadcast (on the same day). They also released new data on the ten largest TV advertisers in the U.S. during the Olympics. According to the television technology company, the advertising reach figures are based on exposure to linear or streaming TV ads, not just logos or mentions.
“Paris 2024 was a major TV event that attracted many viewers, bringing unexpected profits to advertisers and NBCUniversal,” stated Ashwin Navin, CEO of Samba TV, adding, “The Olympics attracted new viewers every day, showing that they capitalized on all the media buzz on social networks and provided advertisers with significant reach during the multi-week event.”
- Toyota
Reach: 49 million
Campaign: The main role in Toyota’s ad was played by Paralympian Marissa Papaconstantinou, who runs through the streets of Toronto, her hometown, returning from a doctor’s appointment. In the 30-second spot, Papaconstantinou ages, her prosthesis turns into a racing blade, and the athlete faces various scenarios. “The campaign, credited with overcoming barriers in marketing representation, aims to be proof of the power of inclusive storytelling,” said Dedra DeLilli, group manager for brand marketing sponsorships.
- Xfinity
Reach: 46 million
Campaign: This year, the Comcast-owned brand released a spot titled Bringing Inspiration Home for the Team of Tomorrow, featuring children inspired by Olympic athletes. In a fast-paced montage, they are shown mimicking the dance moves that some athletes perform to celebrate victory.
- Delta
Reach: 43 million
Campaign: Delta Air Lines, in collaboration with the creative network Wieden+Kennedy, released a series of five ads. In these videos, planes and their interiors became the backdrop for athletes’ journeys to Paris. “The athletes are the heroes; Delta plays a small part by helping them get to the Paris Games and everything else,” said Alicia Tillman, Delta’s Chief Marketing Officer.
- Allstate
Reach: 43 million
Campaign: Allstate became known for its popular Mayhem ads featuring Dean Winters, which aired during the Olympics. In 1967, they established the Allstate Sugar Bowl James J. Corbett Award for promising athletes in Louisiana. Many have since qualified for the U.S. Olympic Games. This year, at the Paris Olympics, four former award winners participated, including Kristen Nuss in beach volleyball, sprinter Aleia Hobbs, JuVaughn Harrison in high jump, and pole vaulter Armand Duplantis.
- Nike
Reach: 42 million
Campaign: As part of an ad produced by Wieden+Kennedy, the sportswear brand aired a spot titled Winning Isn’t For Everyone, which was part of the largest planned media investment during the tournament. Additionally, the campaign includes films about athletes, images, social media extensions, and outdoor ads in cities around the world.
Reach: 42 million
Campaign: The tech giant Google dedicated this year’s Olympic ad, titled Dear Sydney, to promoting the Gemini AI tool. A young aspiring runner and her father use the Gemini tool to write the perfect letter to their idol, Olympic star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The ad quickly received negative feedback, with many labeling it as a miss and uninspiring. Despite the criticism, the campaign still achieved significant reach. System1, which rates brands based on ad creativity, gave Google’s spot a high score of 4.4 out of 5.9.
- Eli Lilly
Reach: 42 million
Campaign: The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, with the help of Wieden+Kennedy Portland, presented a 60-second spot titled One Body, urging people to fight for their health until the end. The ad emphasized that even the strongest among us can succumb to illness and sought to showcase what can be achieved if we don’t give up in the face of obstacles on our path to our goals.
- Universal
Reach: 41 million
Campaign: Since Universal’s parent company is NBCUniversal, where the ads aired, it’s no surprise that Universal made this list. During the Olympics, they aired several special ads for upcoming projects, such as Speak No Evil and the long-awaited adaptation of Wicked starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
- Apple
Reach: 41 million
Campaign: Apple created an optimistic ad for this year’s campaign that looks to the future of the Games. Photos are the latest product in their Shot on iPhone series. The series of photos, prepared by the agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, features ambitious athletes from around the world under 10 years old. Young talents from different sports (skateboarding, gymnastics, para basketball, table tennis) were captured by iPhone’s prismatic sports photographer Walter Iooss Jr.
- Visa
Reach: 40 million
Campaign: Visa has been an Olympic sponsor for 40 years. As part of this year’s campaign, they produced a film titled Prodigies. Among the talents featured in the film are American singer Pharell Williams, tennis star Iga Świątek, Olympic skateboarding champion Sky Brown, Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, chef and entrepreneur Roy Choi, and artist and designer Gemma O’Brien. The campaign was aired on NBCUniversal, national television, online and digital streaming platforms, and through social channels. Several Olympians even shared the campaign with their followers.
