Five golden Olympic experiential brand moments

This article first appeared in Campaign written by, Harri Narhi, Junior UX Designer from our London studio.

The Paris Olympics 2024 has not disappointed when it comes to standout moments. From Celine Dion singing Hymne à l'Amour to Simone Biles’ gymnastic mastery, from the thousands of a second difference between the men’s 100 metre final medallists to Sir Andy Murray’s curtain call on his career – Paris has entertained and delighted, quickly forgiven for its opening ceremony misstep.

From a marketing perspective, this has already been a somewhat different Games – dubbed the TikTok Olympics, the event and the platform have worked in synergy. For many viewers, live competitions at the Olympics and surrounding content have been watched online, particularly on TikTok. Savvy brands and national teams have caught on to this. Team GB struck an official partnership with the social media app, Team Canada and Lululemon dropped their official Olympics kits on the platform and US broadcaster NBCUniversal has partnered a slew of popular influencers to produce content from the Games.

The crossover between social media and live events is not new, but what Paris 2024 represents is the first Olympics with a digitally native and switched-on Gen Z audience, whose size and influence can’t be overstated. TikTok allows its audience unparalleled access to behind-the-scenes content from all corners of the Olympics and adds a whole new layer to the global sporting event.

Beyond TikTok, brands looking to make the most of this stellar global sporting event have created their own activations that fit with their brand propositions and meet the needs of spectators, athletes, consumers and more. So, as we get ready to bid au revoir to the 2024 Olympics, here are some of the best experiential activations.

Paris

Pampers: Olympic Village Nursery

What is it?

US nappy brand Pampers created the first nursery in an Olympic Village, open to all parents. In addition to providing play, rest and changing areas, the space also offers access to high-quality diapers and wipes free of charge.

What’s cool about it?

The Olympic Village Nursery recognises the increasing number of parent-athletes at the games and goes one step further to accommodate specific needs related to childcare. This is an historic move that will set a new standard for future sporting events; it is sure to encourage conversations around the different demands that athletes face when balancing a family and a sporting career.

Oakley: Exoplanetary Bunker

What is it?

Open for the length of the Olympics, the US sports eyewear brand’s pop-up at the Palais Brongniart is an ode to the intersection of technology and sports. Part-museum, part-workshop, part-top secret hideaway, the space brings something distinctly different to the city while the Games are on.

What’s cool about it?

Housed in a surreal, supervillain-esque lair, the Exoplanetary Bunker is designed to bring respite from the chaos of the games. Various product-led installations explore the brand’s past, present and vision for the future. Some of the more quirky experiences include: Shiftwave Experience, a “dedicated recovery experience” that helps athletes restore their flow-state via adjustable pulse waves of pressure, guided meditation and breathwork sessions; and the Future Genesis Room, a strict no-phone zone, which offers insight into the minds of the brand’s top innovators and the direction the company will go in the future.

Wingstop: House of Flavour

What is it?

US fast-food chain Wingstop is running a pop-up at La Caserne dedicated to all things street culture and chicken wings. In addition to chicken and chips, visitors can enjoy basketball and street dance showdowns, live DJs, haircuts, nail art, exclusive merch and even tattoos – all for free.

What’s cool about it?

With no existing presence in Paris, Wingstop is bursting onto the local food scene with a no-holds-barred approach. Offering something for everyone and, above all, at no cost to the consumer, it’s a brilliant way to create positive brand awareness to a new audience. With plans to open 200 locations around France, only time will tell how successful this pop-up will end up being.

UK

Selfridges: Sportopia

What is it?

Keen climbers who visit the British luxury department store’s London and Birmingham locations this summer will have the chance to scale two custom-built structures, the Column and the Climbing Wall. In a nod to open climbing, a sport introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, visitors to Sportopia can also access an exclusive merchandise store within a locker room and an augmented reality changing room.

What’s cool about it?

Climbing has undergone a massive surge in popularity in the past few years and it looks like it’s here to stay. With climbing centres popping up all over the world, and its status firmly embedded within the Olympic schedule, big consumer brands are now taking note and offering the public a fun and accessible way to take part.

Adidas: Breaking Marble Arch

What is it?

Riding the pre-Paris build-up buzz, Adidas took over London’s Marble Arch for five days in July to celebrate the inclusion of breaking (breakdancing) as an official Olympic sport. For an hour each day that week, visitors were treated to demonstrations by award-winning breakdancers, giving them a taste of what to expect during the Olympics.

What’s cool about it?

The inclusion of new sports in the Olympics is always significant and provides an opportunity for new fanbases to become involved as well as educating those unfamiliar with the sport. Compared with many other sports on offer in Paris, breaking has distinctly modern roots, born out of 1970s New York street culture, and as such evokes a shift for the Olympics to broaden its appeal beyond traditional sports.

Online

Samsung x Paris 2024: Open always wins

What is it?

In the build-up to the Olympics, the electronics giant released a three-part docuseries shining the spotlight on some of the newer sports in the games: skateboarding, breaking and surfing. Delving into the subcultures that underpin each of these sports, the films follow some of the key players taking the stage in Paris, including Layssa Real (skateboarding, Brazil), Johanne Defay (surfing, France) and Grace “Sunny” Choi (breaking,USA).

What’s cool about it?

New sports are introduced and some are removed when the Olympics roll around every four years, while others have been around since the first modern games in 1896 (marathon, Athens). While there are strict conditions a sport must meet to be considered for the Olympics, they can often be seen as a reflection of popular culture at the time. Some of these sports are particularly relevant to an ever-growing younger Olympic audience: most of the skateboarding athletes are under 20, and some as young as 13.