Unite or become irrelevant, says branding expert Jenna Isken.
The Olympic rings no longer guarantee marketing gold. As the torch passes from Paris 2024 to Los Angeles 2028, savvy brands are rewriting the playbook, transforming the world's biggest sporting event into a catalyst for unity and social change. Here's how the most innovative players are breaking away from the pack.
The new podium: engagement over exposure
Trevor Bassistt Talks Bandit Unsponsored Program After 400mH Heats at US Olympic Trials - YouTube
Forget logo saturation and feel-good montages. Today's Olympic brand champions are:
Storytellers with substance: Bandit Running's 'Unsponsored Project' (see above) gives athletes logo-free gear, spotlighting Olympic dreamers' financial challenges. Result? Millions of views and 12,000 new followers in a week.
Paris brought its je ne sais quoi to life – romantic, elegant, historic – inspiring brands to transcend sport and embody the city's essence:
Airbnb redefined Olympic hospitality with "Host the World." Local ambassadors offered uniquely Parisian experiences, like fencing lessons under the Eiffel Tower. Result? Brand popularity grew by 3% during the games.
LVMH elevated craftsmanship to an Olympic sport with their "Artisan Olympics." Master artisans live-streamed their skills, paralleling watchmaking precision with sprinter timing. Result? 17 times more value than the brand's annual average.
Fenty blurred the line between beauty and sport in the style capital, providing makeup kits to medal-presenting volunteers, while athletes like Simone Biles went viral using their products. Result? Over 20K new social followers in 2 weeks.
LA 2028: the next frontier of brand engagement
Some of the many LA 28 Olympic Games logos (Image credit: LA28)
Los Angeles, with its kaleidoscopic identity, offers a unique canvas for brand innovation. Here are potential game-changers:
Sustainability Meets Star Power: Imagine Patagonia creating opening ceremony uniforms from Angelenos' donated clothes. "Renewal Stations" citywide could turn old tees into Olympic gear, weaving sustainability into the Games' DNA.
Content Goes Hyperlocal: Picture Netflix launching "502: LA Unscripted," an interactive journey through LA's 502 square miles. Live streams and AI-guided tours could showcase everything from East LA taco trucks to Silicon Beach startups, celebrating LA's cultural tapestry.
AI Breaks Language Barriers: Envision Google's "Babel," an AI translation system erasing communication gaps. Athletes strategizing across languages, global fan interactions, multilingual press conferences – it's not about shrinking the world but enabling it to converse as one.
The Bottom Line: unite or become irrelevant
The era of passive Olympic sponsorship is dead. Brands merely plastering logos on stadiums will find themselves benched in the game of cultural relevance.
Tomorrow's Olympic marketing medalists won't be judged by ad spend or logo visibility. Their ROI will be measured by communities united, conversations sparked, and lasting change inspired.
As LA 2028 approaches, the question for brands isn't about participation—it's about the courage to drive real impact. In this new arena, being seen isn't enough; being remembered for catalyzing change is the true victory.
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The starting gun has fired. Which brands will sprint towards meaningful engagement, and which will be left in the dust of outdated strategies? The world is watching, and history is waiting to be made.
With over 16 years in the industry, Jenna Isken is best described as a brand athlete—rich in experience and broad in expertise.
At the intersection of creativity and strategy, Jenna has built a diverse career spanning agency and client-side roles. As Global Head of Siegel+Gale's Brand Experience practice, Jenna partners with C-suite executives to align brand strategy with customer touchpoints, creating innovative experiences that drive business outcomes. Her passion for simplicity and audience-centric design extends beyond work, as Jenna actively mentors new talent and promotes industry diversity.
