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The Tokyo Olympics *officially* begin this Friday. While fans can’t go to most of the Games, many will be watching from home, which is good news for advertisers. Several released campaigns related to the Games in recent weeks, including:
- Samsung, whose commercial plugs the fact that people can use its phones to stay connected to the Games in a year when the usual hoopla isn’t happening.
- Nike envisions a “tomorrow” when a woman runs a marathon on Mars—and society respects athletes’ mental health.
- MilkPep, a marketing org funded by milk companies, rolled out an ad that stars two Olympians, Kristin Armstrong and Ariel Torres, working out in a gym behind a supermarket’s dairy section. “Hidden cameras” capture shoppers’ reactions.
+1: On Friday, the International Olympic Committee debuted a spot that stars Ágnes Keleti—an Olympian and gymnast who turned 100 this year—and the many Olympic milestones she’s lived through.
Zoom out: Official sponsors or not, brands are eager to be a part of this year’s Games in some capacity. NBCUniversal expects its broadcast of the event to attract more than 120 advertisers, a 20% increase from 2016’s Summer Olympics, per Ad Age.
But as Covid-19 cases rise in Tokyo and athletes get sick, some advertisers might get cold feet. Today, Toyota said it’s pulling Olympics-themed advertising from Japanese TV.—MS