Here are some strategies for the brands to focus on this game season.

Sustainability

Creating advertisements and other potential activations to engage the physical spectators that focus on eliminating waste. Having educational content can help in this situation. According to Unilever’s survey including people from the US, Canada, and the UK, around 75% have admitted that they are taking action to do sustainable activities after witnessing educational content from social media and TV.

The brands can use players to advertise greener activities since the games have 95% of the temporary structure and will be recycled and reused after the event. Le Coq Sportif collaborates with a domestic streetwear label Stéphane Ashpool to produce its products from the locations in France instead of importing goods from other countries which can cause several pollutions.

Moreover, Paris 2024 has developed a tool named The Events Climate Coach to assist the organizers in calculating and decreasing the carbon footprint.

Players as the Face of the Brands

Brands have an opportunity here to choose their potential ambassadors. They have to keep tabs on each player and their history. By doing this, they can select the ideal ambassadors and create content that would increase the player’s viewership. It is also the brand’s responsibility to include the player in the pre-, main, and post-events.

The players have the potential of TV stars to get the attention of their fanbase. Here, the labels can focus on recruiting young players to attract the Gen Z audience. Gen Z is occupying 21% of watching sports on social media and streaming apps.

Italian sneaker brand P448 collaborated with a 21-year-old skateboarder Yam Behar, who will be representing Israel in men’s skateboarding in Paris 2024, for a new capsule. Lacoste has looped in three athletes such as German gymnast Marcel Nguyen, US water polo player Ashleigh Johnson, and UK shooter Ruth Mwandumba as its newest ambassadors. Marcel Nguyen retired from the sport in March 2023 whereas Ashleigh Johnson and Ruth Mwandumba are preparing for the Paris 2024.

Paralympics

The games in Paralympics have been estimated to attract around 3,4 million spectators worldwide. They have a significant impact on brand marketing. By collaborating with Paralympic players, the brands can show their support for inclusivity and openness in social change.

Dior signed para cyclist Marie Patouillet and wheelchair tennis champion Pauline Déroulède as its global ambassadors. Uniqlo did this in 2017 when it hired wheelchair tennis player Gordon Reid as its global ambassador.

Airbnb has stated its support towards the Olympic Refugee Foundation and serves as the official partner and sponsor for Paris’ Refugee Paralympic Team. It is also aiding them with scholarships and training along with covering their living expenses. The vacation rental company is partnering with para players Sofyane Mehiaoui and Axel Allétru to open their spaces for two nights during the event.

A Luxury Conglomerate Sponsoring Olympics

LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton has become the first luxury group to be a sponsor and creative partner of the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games in Paris. This has been set as a primary example of how luxury brands can be involved in a global event without comprising both parties’ values and identities. Moreover, the consumers are expecting this kind of marketing from their ideal brands. The spectators can be encouraged to twin with their favorite athletes, both in digital and physical space.

LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton has created “The Art of Crafting Dreams” campaign with an investment of around €150 million, featuring the artisans’ craftsmanship incorporated into each event. Brands such as Veuve Clicquot (for VIP hospitality), Hennessy (for VIP hospitality), and Chaumet (to manufacture medals) are getting involved too.

Louis Vuitton chose French stars like rugby player Antoine Dupont, 400-meter medley runner Léon Marchand, and foil fencer Enzo Lefort as its global ambassadors. Dior has artistic gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, skateboarder Aurélien Giraud, para cyclist Marie Patouillet, and wheelchair tennis champion Pauline Déroulède as its ambassadors. The champions chosen by LVMH brands are from France.

With this, the luxury world has found another way to establish its forte in the Sports sector. Jacquemus and Nike signed in ShaʼCarri Richardson, an American track athlete, as the face of their collaborative collection campaign before the Olympics. Vogue World has selected the Olympics as the theme for the opening ceremony of Haute Couture Week.

Notice: Rule 40

Rule 40 is a regulatory condition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that marks the ways the athletes and other participants can be presented and benefit from commercial activities. It showcases how the players and their sponsors can use and advertise their image and names during the span of the games and acts as the projector for the sponsors to stay focussed on the athletes during the games. The committee has reworked the advertising framework of athletes in the games. Therefore, brands have to go through this regulation first.

The principles of the regulation change as per the Olympics and non-Olympics partners. Olympic partners are the companies and brands that have merchandise licensing and sponsorship agreements with the IOC, the organizing committee of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and/or official Olympic NOCs and broadcasters that have the rights to show the games. They are permitted to utilize the players’ images for advertising only after obtaining consent from them, following the supplementary guidelines, and respecting the terms of contracts with ICOS and other mentioned organizations. The partners can also take congratulatory advertising.

Non-Olympic partners are the ones who are not Olympic partners. They are allowed to use the players’ images after subjecting to get consent from the players, following the policies by the IOC and NOC with respect to the values possessed by Olympic Movements, prohibition on partnerships with alcohol, tobacco, and other categories, etc. They cannot use any properties of the Olympics. The partners are allowed to do generic advertising and must notify the same to the IOC and/or NOC of the country targeted not later than the 18th of June 2024.

Cover Image: Champion medals created by Chaumet for Paris 2024, courtesy Eurosport.