AT&T launches Olympic campaign with series of short films

Swimmer Ryan Lochte is part of the AT&T campaign

AT&T waited until a day before the opening ceremony to launch its Olympic marketing program, posting seven short films Thursday that feature Team USA athletes preparing for the London Games.

The films are complemented by 30-second segments that will air in prime time on NBC throughout the Olympics. Some of the spots already have begun to run in the U.S., such as “Afternoon Run,” which features marathoner Ryan Hall streaming The Odyssey on a long run, and “Warming Up,” which features swimmer Ryan Lochte crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

The “My Journey” films feature all of AT&T’s athletes — Lochte, Hall, David Oliver (track), Allyson Felix (track), Jordyn Wieber (gymnastic), Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (beach volleyball), Alex Morgan (soccer) and Steven Lopez (taekwondo) — talking about what interests them and sharing what’s changed in their lives since they last competed in Beijing. For example, Lochte talks about getting a dog, which he named Carter after his favorite Lil’ Wayne album (Tha Carter), and his obsession with shoes.

David Oliver did not make the team, but the others are all competing in London.

The films are available on AT&T’s Olympic site: http://www.att.com/standalone/teamusa/#fbid=ucd0x6ayaYw?tab3.

BBDO developed the ads. The Marketing Arm managed the “My Journey” concept.

During the Olympics, AT&T will launch a campaign called the “New Possible."