With billions tuning in globally, the Olympics Games are a powerful platform for brand storytelling on a dizzying scale, creating an interesting mix of international marketing campaigns running simultaneously. But with such diverse viewership, the challenge lies in creating international campaigns that resonate with a global audience…
Join us to explore standout 2024 Olympics international marketing campaigns, uncovering the benefits and challenges of reaching for the world stage and get our top tips for effective international creative.
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Global brands turn to global creative for 2024 Olympics campaigns
The Olympic Games and the marketing industry have gone hand-in-hand for decades. As Neilsen observed back in July, Visa and Samsung have partnered with the games since the 1980’s, Coca-Cola since the 1920’s! But 2024 has seen a number of global brands joining their ranks, using the Games to take their international marketing to new heights. To name just some…
- Corona launched their biggest, broadest reaching global campaign yet, “Golden moments”, reaching 40+ markets globally with a “strategy not often associated with sporting events: the joy of relaxation.”
- Earlier this year saw Puma launch their first global brand campaign in a decade, taking advantage of this ‘summer of sports’ with their first unified cross-category message, “the fastest brand in the world“.
- INEOS Automotive also used this summer to launch their first ever global campaign “Built for More” across 45 markets.
- We’ve also seen some major rebrands this year with Decathlon repositioning from a sports retailer to a global sports brand and a Speedo brand refresh to address inconsistencies in the brand.
It’s clear that brands are seeing the benefit of ‘glocal’ creative concepts – a solid brand image in every market, and a strong, universal message, recognisable by an international movement of consumers. But there’s a catch. Although information is shared faster than ever, there are still significant differentiators between markets such as culture, language, history, values, climate etc. Not taking account of these differences in your ‘glocal’ creative can endanger the effectiveness of this unified message…
The challenge of effective global marketing creative in 2024
A handful of Olympics campaigns have been received with controversy this summer. In early August, Google retracted an ad where the AI tool Gemini wrote a personal fan letter on behalf of a child, after the wider public felt the message promoted AI as a replacement for human creativity. Similarly, Nike’s campaign “Winning isn’t for everyone” has been unusually divisive, leaving some to question why Nike are positioning themselves on the side of elite athletes and not the generalist. There was also some backlash in China about this shot of a table tennis paddle being licked.
Then there’s the effectiveness of the campaigns, which according to the Drum, is down compared to previous Olympics. While Powerade’s Simone Biles – “The Vault” | Pause is Power ranked higher than any of its 2024 rivals for the intensity of positive feelings generated, it would only be joint 10th in the all-time highest performing Olympics campaigns and it actually scored lower in effectiveness than other more traditional ‘sports’ campaigns this year such as Coca-Cola’s “It’s Magic”.
Getting global marketing right is complex and as these examples show, it’s not easy to get it right! It cuts to the core of why choosing the right global creative idea is so important – what may resonate compellingly in one market may be offensive (or worse, go unnoticed) in a number of other markets.
‘Glocal’ creative tips for pain-free international campaigns
At Freedman International, we’ve worked on countless global marketing campaigns with some of the world’s best known brands as a international campaign experts, so we understand the challenge of running effective international marketing campaigns that resonate across diverse markets. Here’s three tips to help find that crucial, universal truth and create successful global marketing campaigns.
01 Prioritize communication and collaboration at every stage
Leverage your local teams’ expertise throughout the creative process by sharing ideas, storyboards, scripts, and designs. Local insights can shape effective distribution plans and ensure your campaign resonates. Having the entire team involved right from the start is crucial to ensure every local market perspective is captured.
02 Adapt your global creative brief with in-market experts
Avoid relying on central assumptions, as cultural differences can impact your brand’s message. Collaborate with local teams for market-specific research to ensure your campaign maintains cultural relevance and ensure regular updates to prevent late-stage issues and ensure market buy-in. After each campaign, gather feedback to refine your approach, aiming for a concept that meets global objectives and adapts to local needs.
03 Consider every detail upfront
A deep understanding of every relevant local market should inform every aspect of your campaign, especially the tagline. Be sensitive to local humour, metaphors, and traditions when translating a tagline. Also, ensure visuals are appropriate for all markets, considering elements like landscape, animals, and colours.
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