The Olympics Culture Report

I’m starting to get obsessed with this year’s Summer Olympics. Normally, I’m not as into it, but this year, I’m really feeling the excitement.

Maybe it's an escape that lets me set aside the speculation and unpredictableness of our current political landscape. The Olympics are a chance to take pride in your country without caveat.

I’m looking forward to the national and global camaraderie. Few things are as universal and inspirational as athletes’ stories. This is a time-honored tradition we can all connect to and experience live, all across the world. It’s not a water cooler moment, it’s an Olympic sized pool moment, and we can all appreciate the beauty of the games.

As a marketer, I also see so much opportunity!

Last Summer, Barbie was the biggest thing in pop culture and it was an epic case study on brand partnerships. This year’s Olympics in Paris are going to be an even bigger brand marketing masterclass on so many levels.

Even though the 2022 Winter Olympics performed the lowest of any games in the history of television, I feel like the stars are aligning this time. These games are going to blow Beijing out of the water.

Why?

Paris is doing so many things to incorporate the games into French life, showing city pride , and using the platform to create positive transformation in the city of lights. I’m really impressed with how they are approaching this undertaking and I think it could help Paris in many ways. The Olympic Village plans deserve an award if they can stick that landing, although no A/C sounds downright dicey in the Summer!

NBC’s Peacock is playing a whole new game, too, with a fun, diverse host of commentators including Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy) , Kelly Clarkson, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Phelps, Kenan Thompson, and more. It’s going to feel very new. There’s a reason NBC sold out all of the ad inventory months in advance.

On top of that, influencers and creators are going to be tapped for social content like never before, so I’m expecting the Olympics to dominate the feed.

I’m still shocked (and overjoyed) to see new sports added, including Surfing, Skateboarding, Climbing, and Breakdancing. Breakdancing? What! We better win breakdancing, for goodness sake. USA has a star on the team named Sunny Choi . She has about 12K followers as of today, but I bet she hits a million by the end of this thing.

I’m siked. The Dream Team is looking great, so I had to get some gear to support. We’ll just ignore that near-loss to the Luol Deng-led South Sudanese team last week.

With over 700 U.S. athletes participating in 329 events across 39 sports, there will be plenty to take in over 19 days. USA Soccer is in the running; our boxing is strong; our track & field and swim teams always show up; and both the men’s and women’s tennis teams should be interesting to watch.

Some of the uniforms look incredible, too, especially Mongolia and Nigeria . I’ll give Japan their flowers for these Breakdancing kits , though. How do I get my hands on these here, I wonder? I think this is the coolest merch of the year. There are honestly so many great looks across the globe for this year’s games.

From a brand marketing standpoint, there are the parties, the clothing drops, the tech partnerships, the brand commercials, the marketing stunts, the athlete appearances, the endorsement opportunities, and millions of viewers globally. Real stars will be born at these games who are unknown today (although some are already doing unboxings ). Brands that want new life and understand the importance of moving at the speed of culture will keep an eye on these athletes as there will be chances to strike. See how not to do it here , and how to definitely do it here . It’s all highly nuanced.

Everywhere I look, there are brand-affiliated call-outs and activations, and I’m here for it. Some of them are terrible (who wants this, Nike? ), but so many of them are fresh, like Ralph’s closing ceremony jacket. From Kith to Pacsun; Google’s AI deal to Petsmart (because dogs watch, too); and AirBnB’s official Olympics partnership, brands are going to show up in many savvy ways. Even Coinbase is in on the action with their Daniel Arsham-designed Olympic Ball . In this week’s Crypto Bull Run fever haze I almost bought one. Nice try, Coinbase! For a digital collectible, it does look cool.

But the real question is, with all of these things going simultaneously, how do you really break through?

I love the way LVMH has positioned itself in this year's games. From designing the uniforms for the volunteers, to the custom medal cases, there are going to be collectables for many lifetimes. They are playing to their home court advantage.

I just wish there was a better theme song. This one doesn’t do it for me, but hopefully a great brand will solve that problem. I don’t see music showing up the way it could and should. If you need ideas, let me know!

One thing is certain: watershed moments are coming. The Olympics this year are the event of the Summer and it all kicks off on Friday. For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium. It’s set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery, the Seine, and somehow, some way, they got it clean enough to swim . Some memes and conspiracy theorists claim this will be the last “normal” Summer of our lives, but nothing’s felt normal for a decade plus, if you ask me. Four years from now, the world will keep on turning and we’ll be charged up again for this Summer tradition: 2028 in Los Angeles!

Jesse Kirshbaum

Co-Founder of Nue