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Olympics Youtube Advertising

Rio 2016 Olympic sponsors have clocked up 400 years’ worth of watch time on YouTube, with Always and Samsung's ads among most popular

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

August 1, 2016 | 4 min read

Viewers are taking notice of official Rio 2016 marketing, with YouTube revealing that Olympic sponsors’ ads have already received the equivalent of over 400 years’ worth of global watch time in its most recent trends report.

Rio 2016 Sponsors Ads YouTube Olympics

P&G's / Rio 2016 Sponsors Ads YouTube Olympics

The Summer Games hasn’t even kicked off yet but the event has faced its fair share of obstacles, from controversy around Russia’s state-sponsored doping program to concerns over the safety of venues. The negative headlines, however, don't appear to have sapped people's interest in the games, with ads from sponsors such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble (P&G) seeing a surge in interest ahead of the opening ceremony.

From April 2016 to July 2016 YouTube users have watched 400 years, or 146000 days’ worth, of video ads from official Olympic sponsors with spots from Always, Minute Maid and Visa among those generating the most interest globally.

In the last twelve months alone, over 23,000 years of branded and non-branded posts have been watched on YouTube in the athletics, diving and swimming, gymnastics, and volleyball categories. To put this in perspective, that's the equivalent of someone watching all 17 days of the Summer Games, 24 hours a day, not once, but over half a million times.

Additionally, the Google-owned platform said that Rio 2016 has attracted the most search interest on YouTube, compared to other tournaments like the 2014 World Cup and the past two UEFA European Championships.

Interesting, the majority of time spent watching sports content happens on mobile, and over the most recent year nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of Olympic sports videos were watched on smaller screens.

Scroll down to see the most watched ads from Olympic 2016 sponsors so far.

1. Leo Burnett: Always '#LikeAGirl 'Keep Playing'

P&G-owned brand Always' latest iteration of its wildly popular #LikeAGirl ads looks to motivate young girls to take up sports. Capitalising on the momentum around the Games, the spot tells viewers that half of girls quit sports by the time they finish puberty and has proved popular with YouTube viewers across the globe.

2. Doner: Minute Maid: '#DoinGood - See What Missy Franklin Has To Say'

Minute Maid gave four-time gold medalist Missy Franklin the stage to share her story, but instead she used the Olympic spot to put the spotlight on her parents. Created by Doner the ad showcases the unique challenges and triumphs that come with parenting a sporting superstar.

3. Wieden+Kennedy: P&G 'Thank You, Mom - Strong'

In another Olympic ad centered around mothers, P&G realeased its 'Thank You, Mom' ad 100 days ahead of the first starting pistol to celebrate athletes' mothers and hone in on their stregnth. The spot has been well received by viewers, and follows on from P&G's 'Best Job' 2012 Summer Games campaign.

4. Leo Burnett: Samsung 'The Chant'

Samsung's emotive campaign attempts to bring the conversation back to the global unity which the Games create. In 'The Chant' it focuses on South Sudan, the newest country to be recognized by the IOC, which will have its first-ever Olympic team competing this year in Rio.

5. BBDO: Visa 'The Carpool to Rio'

Visa's 2016 Olympic effort depicts a star-studded morning commute, imploring fans to "ride along" with the likes of Valerie Adams, Ashton Eaton and Alison Cerutti as they show off the payment options available to fans.

To view more marketing insights into Rio 2016 visit The Drum’s Olympics hub here.

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