3. Delta
Reach: 43 million
Campaign: Delta Air Lines released a series of five ads with Wieden+Kennedy. These videos turned its planes and their interiors into the background for athletes’ journeys to Paris.
“It’s the athletes that are the heroes here, and Delta is just a small part of that journey to help them get to the Paris Games and everything in between,” Delta chief marketing officer Alicia Tillman told ADWEEK last month.
4. Allstate
Reach: 43 million
Campaign: Allstate has become known for its popular “Mayhem” ads starring Dean Winters, which aired during the Olympics. Meanwhile, since 1967, Allstate created the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s James J. Corbett Award for rising athletes in Louisiana, many of which have eventually made it to the U.S. Olympics.
This year, four previous James J. Corbett Award winners, including beach volleyball player Kristen Nuss, sprinter Aleia Hobbs, high jump athlete JuVaughn Harrison, and pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, all made it to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
5. Nike
Reach: 42 million
Campaign: In an ad created by Wieden + Kennedy, the sportswear brand ran a “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” spot, which is part of its biggest-ever planned media investment around the tournament, as it looks to boost sales and return to a clear tone of voice.
In addition, the campaign includes athlete extension films, images, social media extensions, and out-of-home ads in cities globally.
6. Google
Reach: 42 million
Campaign: For Google’s “Dear Sydney” ad at the Olympics this year, the tech giant promoted Gemini, its AI feature, by showing an aspiring young runner who’s obsessed with an Olympic superstar by the name of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. To craft the perfect fan letter, the runner and her father turn to Gemini for assistance.
The ad quickly received backlash following its debut, with many calling it tone-deaf and “less inspiring.” However, despite the criticism, the company still reached many audiences. System1, which uses a star rating to predict brand growth based on an ad’s creative quality, gave Google’s spot a strong score of 4.4 out of 5.9.
7. Eli Lilly
Reach: 42 million
Campaign: Healthcare giant Eli Lilly, which is a Team USA partner, rolled out a campaign with a 60-second spot called “One Body” by Wieden + Kennedy Portland that challenged people to “fight like hell” for their health.
The ad noted how even the strong can get sick and was meant to highlight “what’s possible when we don’t accept the odds that stand in the way of our goals,” according to the company.