The USOC and NBC said that more companies broke creative during the Sochi Games Opening Ceremony than ever before. Companies ranging from Procter & Gamble to Liberty Mutual all developed Olympic-themed advertising for the broadcast. The total number of Olympic sponsors advertising during Sochi has risen from less than 10 to more than 15, and almost all of those sponsors developed Olympic-themed creative for the Games. USOC CMO Lisa Baird said that NBC’s promotion of the Winter Games and research showing that it would attract a large audience inspired many sponsors to advertise. NBC’s ad sales suffered during the '10 Vancouver Games because they took place at the end of the recession, but the economy rebounded and the Sochi Games will be profitable for the net. The number of sponsors the USOC has added since Vancouver helped NBC’s sales. Many of those sponsors will advertise during their first Winter Games, including Liberty Mutual, Chobani, Smucker's, Kellogg’s and USG. Budweiser and Hilton are the only USOC sponsors that opted not to advertise during Sochi, while Panasonic was one of the only consumer-facing sponsors of the IOC not to advertise (Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer). In L.A., Meg James noted U.S. advertisers have placed a nearly $900M "bet" that the Sochi Games will "become a feel-good event for television audiences." No major advertiser has "canceled its order for commercial time during NBCUniversal's unprecedented 1,539 hours of coverage of the Games." Marketing experts said that controversies surrounding this year's Games "could help pique viewers' interest, which in turn should drive TV ratings -- at least during the initial days" (L.A. TIMES, 2/7).
CHARITY STRIPE: In N.Y., Andrew Adam Newman reports Citigroup as part of its Olympics sponsorship is "introducing a philanthropic effort that gives a boost to sports-related causes -- and could help burnish its reputation, too." The company is "donating $500,000 to nine organizations with which current and former Olympians it is sponsoring are involved." A website for the effort, Every Step of the Way, "includes multimedia features about how the athletes’ backgrounds drew them to their respective causes, and encourages visitors to help apportion the donation by clicking on the organizations to direct $10 increments to them." Two commercials airing during the Olympics feature Gold Medal-winning figure skater Evan Lysacek and "highlight the organizations, including Figure Skating in Harlem, a nonprofit that trains girls" in N.Y. Another spot features U.S. sled hockey player Rico Roman and "highlights Operation Comfort, which is based in San Antonio, Tex., and trains wounded soldiers, including Mr. Roman" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/10).
NOT SHYING AWAY FROM CONTROVERSY: The AP's Mae Anderson noted Chevrolet rolled out two ads during the Opening Ceremony that "feature gay couples." LGBT advocacy group GLAAD said the ads were "the first to feature gay couples during an Olympic broadcast." While three USOC sponsors have "spoken out explicitly" against a Russian law banning gay propaganda, Chevy, which is not an official sponsor, "didn't comment on the Russian laws specifically." The automaker said in a statement, "These ads ... are not intended as any political commentary." However, advertising experts said that the commercials "make a pretty clear statement" (AP, 2/7). AD AGE's Michael McCarthy noted one spot for the Chevy Traverse "shows two gay fathers standing proudly with their kids in a kitchen," as well as "shots of multi-racial families as Chevy explores what it means to be a family these days." The other 60-second brand spot has "a shot of a gay couple celebrating their marriage and a clip of Jack Andraka, the openly gay scientist who developed a test for pancreatic cancer" (ADAGE.com, 2/7). Meanwhile, the GLOBE & MAIL's Susan Krashinsky noted Bell Canada during CBC's Olympic coverage "unveiled an ad that will run during the Games, featuring people using different devices to watch the athletic events in Russia," including a "blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of two men sitting on the couch and celebrating with a kiss as an athlete’s winning performance plays on the television." The scene with the kiss "lasts less than a second" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/9).
TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPIN': AD AGE's Diana Kurylko noted USOC sponsor BMW debuted its i sub-brand during Friday's Opening Ceremony with a spot called "Hello Future." The ad "uses the theme and words from '2001: A Space Odyssey,' to position the i8 as a futuristic vehicle." Two other BMW commercials also aired, including "Sighting," which has "people who have seen the i8 trying to describe it." The third spot, titled "SHHH," features a boy who "takes a joyride in the i3 battery-electric compact to impress a girl." He "wins the girl but his father tracks him through the BMW i remote application" (ADAGE.com, 2/7).
