Well folks, they’re back. The 2012 London Olympics have hit NBC and their affiliated channels for their 17-day appearance. Starting with the spectacular opening ceremony, the Olympics have already received a ton of buzz for their shocking wins, loses and more. But this year’s games stands out from the previous. For the first time ever, viewers can catch live streaming and hundreds of hours of additional content on not only their computer but on smartphones, and tablets. To think that during the 2010 Olympic games such technology as a tablet or iPad didn’t even exist. With the addition content come additional costs and additional ad time. Are you sick of any ads yet?
After Proctor & Gamble’s (P&G) success with their “Thank You Mom” campaign during the 2010 Winter Olympics, I’m not surprised that they brought it back for the 2012 summer games. This campaign tugs on the heart strings and definitely creates an emotional connection with the consumer. I will admit, every time I see the commercial I get a bit teary-eyed. Even NBC has turned its attention toward the parents behind the amazing Olympic athletes with exclusive interviews and featured segments.
But unfortunately P&G did not make the medal stand this year. Here are my top 3 Olympic ads of the 2012 London games so far.
In 3rd place with a Bronze Medal, Nike – Find Your Greatness
I really love the little boy who jumps off the high dive at the end. But in all seriousness, I enjoy Nike’s ability to make the connection between the greatness of an average person and an award winning athlete. Greatness can be anywhere and Nike is happy to be there when you find yours.
In 2nd place with a Silver Medal, Apple – Labor Day
What?! This ad doesn’t even have anything to do with the Olympic games. Right! It absolutely doesn’t and that is what made it stand out. Yes, it is funny but is nothing like what Apple has been doing lately making it incredibly refreshing. I love the use of the “Apple Genius” who represents the type of customer service you find in a Apple store. Overall, I love this campaign and the two other ads that are a part of it.
And in 1st place with the Gold Medal, Tide – When Colors Mean This Much
Ok, so technically Tide is a P&G brand but still this is an awesome tv spot. The brilliant copy that reminds us all that bronze, silver, or gold, those aren’t the colors that matter. Instead it is the colors of the country you represent that do and you want those colors to be as bright as they can be. With Tide, you can wear those colors proudly.
*Honorable mention: Visa Michael Phelps Congratulatory Commercial
I would like to give Visa a round of applause for having their shit together. It was only a few hours after Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps won his 19th medal, braking the record for most olympic medals ever, that this spot played. Yeah, they probably have a bunch of versions ready to go as the games go on but it was clever on their part for being prepared.
Marissa Osowsky 