Image by Luca Dugaro on unsplash
One week on from the (alternately beautiful, sometimes confusing) Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, the online chatter is finally dying down – meaning we can now get to the most important topic of all: Who is winning the battle of the brands at this year’s Games?
As more than 11,000 sports stars from all over the world compete for fewer than one thousand medals, corporate giants are more than a billion dollars deep into their own contest for attention, with domestic and international brands alike all vying for everyone’s eyeballs at the same time. Who they align with – athlete, participating nation or host country – can make all the difference.
While the Games officially started on Friday 26 July, the real race began around 100 days previously, with brands quick off the mark to orchestrate a mini fashion season of kit reveals from the likes of Lululemon, Ralph Lauren, Ben Sherman and more. Que les jeux commencent!
Image by Solen Feyissa on unsplash
As always, sportswear brands tapped into the hype with athlete-fronted activations, but this year French fashion houses also joined the competition. Luxury multinational LVMH reportedly spent $160 million to be the Games’ “creative partner” with its brands seemingly everywhere you looked. Every one of France’s competing athletes received a Berluti suit, while Dior designed Celine Dion’s dazzling gown for her Eiffel Tower performance at the opening ceremony, jeweler Chaumet crafted this year's medals, and Louis Vuitton trunks can be seen carrying the medals and torch. With so much focus (and investment) in the athletes themselves, Paris risked fading into the background.
Historically, the Olympics’ brand hierarchy was clearly defined: The host city was followed by participating nations, with shamefully underpaid, under-sponsored competitors bringing up the rear. But now, as athletes develop their own celebrity followings and fashion houses embrace the multi-billion-dollar world of sports, an increasingly powerful link between brand and athlete has emerged.
This new power pairing has threatened to upend the traditional messaging hierarchy at the Games – making their host city merely a backdrop to the athletes’ own star power. No clearer did this play out than last month, when athletes arrived in Paris and found themselves collecting their kit from brand-sponsored gifting suites, prompting a flurry of excited behind-the-scenes TikToks and media articles.
But last week, the power dynamics suddenly shifted in Paris’ favor. The opening ceremony saw the host city push back, simply by playing on audiences’ increasing desire to feel a sense of connection to place.
Image by Alexandre Aymard on unsplash
We are flooded with content and entertainment everyday – much of it well-produced and on message – but we crave a link to a specific location and time. The opening ceremony’s thoughtful blend of deeper storytelling through pre-recorded content, combined (at times less successfully) with live performances spanning the historic backdrop of Paris, stood in stark contrast to the increasing placelessness of many past ceremonies.
Aware that generic stadium shows struggle to captivate viewers, Paris went the extra mile – make that four miles – to stage an ambitious ceremony stretching from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Eiffel Tower. Featuring a host of Olympic and pop royalty, it even offered an innovative way to parade competing athletes, with 85 boats ferrying 205 delegations down the famous river.
For once, spectators didn’t need to buy a stadium ticket to watch the opening in person. Instead, Paris democratized participation, allowing people from all over the city to watch the spectacle from the comfort of their balconies and share it on social media as it passed.
It’s easy to criticize the execution for its seemingly lackluster energy and choppy pacing – especially when the heavens opened. But you can’t deny that the ceremony gave a world already drowning in content something to talk about – and that something was Paris.
In the span of six hours, Paris reminded viewers of its greatest hits in history, art, and architecture. Even when the local audience walked out on the rainstorm, the global audience didn’t switch off from the grandeur and (arguably heavy-handed) messaging.
In an age where content often feels endless and ephemeral, Paris 2024 reminded us of the enduring power of place. The opening ceremony, with all its grandiosity and many flaws, succeeded in making the host city more than just a backdrop. It became a central character, telling a story that resonated far beyond the Olympic stadium.
As the Olympic Games continue and the spotlight shifts back to the athletes, brands need to keep this lesson in mind: No number of gifting suites can top that genuine sense of connection.
In less than a week, Paris has shown that – beyond all the glittering medals and high-profile endorsements – it's experience and place that leaves a lasting impression on audiences. In the battle of the brands, sometimes the strongest play is making sure your messages aren’t just seen, but felt.