With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games commencing this week, brands are presented with a unique opportunity to experiment, showcase and support their home countries, teams and athletes with exciting product launches and campaigns.

Marketing Mag connected with a few of the nation’s top brands to find out how they’re preparing for the launch of the Olympic Games on 26 July in the marketing space. 

But why should the athletes have all of the fun? With so many initiatives across the advertising sector, Marketing has – with intricate research and deliberation – selected three top partnerships and activations as worthy recipients of the gold medal for marketing.

Gold Medal for best product partnership: July

July’s head of PR Lily Rayner was on hand to tell us more.

Marketing Mag: How is July rallying around the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams as the launch date approaches?

We’re working with a few key Olympians across various sports for our creative campaign, so we’re really excited to see that come to life. Even people in our office who aren’t natural sports fans are getting geared up for the Olympics. We’re going to throw a big party at our head office before the games kick off, so slide into our DMs if you want an invite. 

Why did your July decide to engage in an Olympics partnership?

Teaming up with the Australian Olympic Team signifies a real coming-of-age moment for our young brand. This is a partner that celebrates both tradition and new talent; being on a global stage with a partner like this is the dream. 

We’ve also recruited five members of the Australian Olympic Team to put our suitcases to the test. Mackenzie Arnold, Peter Bol, Zoe Poulis, Jeff Dunne and Brooke Buschkuehl have pushed, pulled, threw and raced them to see if they’re truly worthy of the Olympic world stage.

Can you share a specific campaign that July has launched?

This year, all Australian athletes headed to the Summer Olympic Games will be accompanied by a custom July Carry On Pro. Featuring a chic textured cream finish, gold hardware and luxuriously soft leather handles, this case has been designed exclusively for our Olympic athletes.

We’ve debuted the case design and our creative campaign shot at Melbourne Uni. Watch this space because there’s a tonne of content coming soon!

Gold Medal for best media partnership: QMS

QMS’ chief marketing officer Tennille Burt dove into a few of the brand’s exciting new campaigns.

How is QMS rallying around the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams as the launch date approaches?

At QMS, we are immensely proud to support the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams as we approach the Paris 2024 Games. Our commitment goes beyond mere sponsorship; it is about rallying the nation to celebrate and support our athletes. As part of this commitment, we have launched our state-of-the-art Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network – designed to provide a national platform to share the stories of strength, unity and triumph of our athletes and para-athletes and bring the excitement of the Games to every corner of Australia.

This Australian-first, 100 percent digital out-of-home (DOOH) Olympic and Paralympic Games network will reach more than 80 percent of people aged 18 and over and will showcase real-time content before, during and after the Paris 2024 Games, connecting Australians with our Olympic and Paralympic teams like never before. 

Our screens will not only display live results and event highlights but will also feature Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia campaigns that encourage community participation and support. 

Moreover, our teams across the country have been actively working with athletes through guest speaker sessions, enabling us to tell, share and amplify their unique journeys with our customers and teams. From swimming, diving, athletics, wheelchair rugby and beach volleyball to sponsoring the hottest new sport at the Paris 2024 Games –  break dancing or ‘breaking’ as it is known – we’ve been focused on giving voice to those who will wear the green and gold on the world’s biggest stage.

These sessions provide a unique opportunity to hear firsthand from our Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls about the dedication, resilience and passion required to compete at the highest level. By bringing these stories to our customers and people, we aim to inspire and motivate them, reinforcing the values of perseverance and excellence that are at the core of both the sporting world and our business.

What unique initiatives have QMS introduced to support the teams this year?

For QMS, the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics represent a moment to unite all Australians – outdoors – through the power and spirit of sport. 

The creation of the Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network will leverage our advanced digital capabilities, to create powerful content for brands to align to as they broadcast, connect and activate their own Olympic and Paralympic campaigns. 

Think team profiles, breaking news, medal-winning moments, world records, medal tallies and all the excitement that comes with iconic sporting moments, right when you need it. With the time difference in Paris, peak Games time finals and major results will be breaking on our screens every morning from 5am. That means when Australian athletes are winning gold in Paris, our network will be delivering gold-standard audiences for our partners as millions of Australians make their morning commute.

Further to this, QMS has sponsored a number of Olympic qualifying events including the Oceania breaking qualifier, which selected our first ever ‘b-boy’ and ‘b-girl’ to represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics. As well as the Australian Boardriders Association finals with Surfing Australia, breaking and surfing are relatively new sports for 2024 (surfing debuted in Tokyo), attracting new global audiences to the Games. This made sense to our brand which is all about being ‘Out of the Ordinary’.

Through these initiatives, QMS is not just a sponsor but a proud partner in celebrating the achievements and dedication of our athletes on the global stage.

Why did QMS decide to engage in an Olympics and Paralympics partnership?

QMS was proudly hand-selected by the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia for partnership because of a deep values alignment with both sporting organisations. The Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams each represent the pinnacle of excellence, humanity, resilience and innovation – qualities that resonate greatly with our mission to push the boundaries of what out-of-home can achieve for our customers.

With 94 percent of our saleable inventory per week being digital, our network is also best placed to bring to life these preeminent events as the stories of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics unfold. 

By partnering with the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia, we are fortunate to have a meaningful impact on the communities within which we operate and provide significant support to all Australian athletes. 

Can you share a specific campaign that QMS has launched?

Launching our Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network with our partners Toyota Australia, Allianz, Stan, Patties Food Group and some others that are soon to be announced. 

Since April, we have tapped into the immediacy and influence of DOOH to showcase breaking news content, team selection announcements, team uniform reveals and dynamic countdowns from 100 Days to Go across the country. Our partner brands have leveraged this content opportunity with Olympic and Paralympic adjacent brand placements that dominate audience reach and attention.  

Our recent ‘Meet the Team’ content celebrated the athletes who have already secured their spot on the Australian team for athletics, paddle, sailing and breaking – putting these Olympic hopefuls up in lights in their local communities, nationally.

These stories will be amplified during the Games, as we bring every story, triumph, medal moment, every heartbreak – on the journey during and post the Games. And what an opportunity that provides for brands, whether as a standalone solution or as part of a connected omnichannel strategy for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With the advancements in technology, the explosion in digital and our network scale combining to deliver, for the first time ever, a DOOH partnership of this magnitude in Australia, we are thrilled to showcase the power of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics and raise the Australian spirit with our dedicated coverage. 

#AllezAus. Let the Games begin! 

Gold Medal for best campaign: Cadbury

Mondelēz International’s ANZ director of marketing excellence Kathy De Lullo told us more about the confectionery giant’s big Olympic plans.

How is Cadbury rallying around the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams as the launch date approaches?

Cadbury has a proud history of supporting our national Olympic and Paralympics teams, maintaining longstanding partnerships with the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia. We are excited to continue this tradition and extend our support to the athletes competing at the Games in Paris. We are especially proud that the Matildas will represent Australia at the Olympics after a successful qualifying campaign, which we were proud to support as a team sponsor.

We have an exciting year of activity ahead celebrating the Olympic and Paralympic teams.  We are launching limited edition ‘Team Australia’ Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks and bars which are filled with green and gold chocolate candy beanies, as well as a suite of consumer promotions and activations including a campaign with Matildas defender Alanna Kennedy to help increase the visibility of our female athletes and inspire the next generation. Additionally, we will support the team sponsorship in-store, online and through activations.  

What unique initiatives have Cadbury introduced to support the teams this year?

Our ‘Women in Sport Poster’ initiative has launched a special Green and Gold and Team Australia-themed filter for creating personalised athlete posters so more girls can see their future in sport.

In stores across the country, consumers will have the opportunity to participate in various promotions to win Team Australia supporter merchandise, ‘money can’t buy’ experiences at the Welcome Home event or cash prizes. As the Paris Games approach, we will also be unveiling a new campaign for our popular ‘Cheer and a Half’ initiative which celebrates volunteers with a new and innovative activation to help recognise and celebrate the important contribution they make to athletes at every level of sport.

The first phase of this campaign included special edition Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks featuring the images of our ambassador athletes – Patty Mills, Emma McKeon, Madison De Rozario and Robert De Castella, as well as the Wallabies and the Matildas – and stories of the volunteers who helped them reach their dreams which encouraged small gestures of acknowledgement of volunteers.

We’re excited to launch the next phase of this campaign soon which provides a unique way to give a ‘Cheer to a Volunteer’.

Why did Cadbury decide to engage in an Olympics partnership again?

Sport has the power to unite the nation, and as an iconic brand with more than 100 years of legacy in Australia, Cadbury wanted to continue to be a part of this monumental event. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of Australian athletes by increasing the visibility of our Olympic and Paralympic stars and playing a role in connecting communities through sport and our much-loved brand.

Cadbury’s brand is rooted in generosity, and sport is full of generous moments and stories, from the grassroots level right up to the elite level. Our products are enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle and sport and community connection obviously play a key role in this space. Through our partnerships and initiatives, we aim to encourage greater participation in sports at all levels and to drive visibility and equality across the sporting landscape.

We have invested $50 million into Australia’s leading sporting codes and clubs over the past decade and we are excited to continue the partnership with our Olympic and Paralympic teams in 2024.

Can you share a specific campaign that Cadbury has launched?

We have launched a new campaign with the support of Matildas defender and soon-to-be three-time Olympian, Alanna Kennedy. The campaign aims to celebrate and encourage the participation of young girls in sport and help encourage support from family and friends to help keep them in the game at all levels.

To kick off the campaign, Alanna surprised 13-year-old Canterbury footballer Madison Theivendram and her father on a street corner with a heartwarming unveiling of her personalised ‘pro-athlete poster’ alongside Alanna herself.

Fans can visit posters.cadbury.com.au to upload a photo of themselves or the special sporting star in their lives and create a customised digital poster, including a new Green and Gold filter to celebrate the upcoming Games. The personalised poster will be generated and emailed to them for printing and social sharing.

Cadbury has a rich history of championing grassroots programs and initiatives that empower female athletes, from national women in sport programs to community grants celebrating volunteering. We remain dedicated to fostering inclusivity and excellence in sports.

Marketing the Olympics

With the Olympics’ exposure and viewer base increasing every Games, brands must continue creating and launching new and exciting initiatives that stand out to rally behind and support the athletes, their countries and the global community.

Imagery attributed to July, QMS and Cadbury.