GOING FOR THE GOLD

The podium has been packed away, the medals flown across the world, but as the Olympics wraps up, there are still a few more prizes to give away. To celebrate the games we’ve rounded up the good, the bad and the ugly of Olympics marketing and decided to give out a few medals of our own. So without further ado, The Bank Currency team presents the winners for…

CHEEKIEST AMBUSH MARKETING

Gold: Sprinting ahead of the pack comes the headphone range Beats by Dr. Dre, whose products were spotted on the heads and twitter feeds of top athletes. Giving away free headphones to selected athletes from their base in trendy Shoreditch house, the brand was rewarded with athletes wearing their products on prime time television. No endorsement, no sponsorship, just some well-placed gifts.

Silver: Nike once again showed their marketing muscle with their anticipated rival campaign to official sponsor Adidas. Whilst the ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign was just impressive as expected from the brand, the really cheeky touch came with their sponsorship of marathon runner Paula Radcliffe. After being forced to withdraw from her event, she became no longer covered by Olympics branding regulations. Within the same day, Nike took this opportunity to release an advert with the athlete; an Olympic superstar without the Olympic sponsorship price-t

MOST INAPPROPRIATE BRANDING RULE

Gold: This less welcome medal goes to the decision to ban the sale of chips in Olympic venues. Great Britain is a chip-eating nation. Denying the people their soggy, undercooked potato sticks was never going to endear consumers or the media to LOCOG or official sponsor McDonald’s. After all, as BBC presenter Jake Humphrey tweeted, “No chips on the Olympic Park? Isn’t it a basic right of a Briton to eat chips as and when they see fit? #NationalDish!”

MOST HEART-PUMPING, SPIRIT-RAISING, TEAR-JERKING ADVERTISING

Gold: ‘Meet the Superhumans’ by Channel 4. Everyone understands the bravery and strength of the Paralympians, but their games tend to get overshadowed by the regular Olympians. Not so when this spot is showing. Beautiful cinematography, uncompromising content and the best soundtrack we’ve heard on a TV advert this year.

Silver: Proctor & Gamble’s ‘Best Job’ honours the mothers of the Olympic Athletes, showcasing their care and their pride as their children grow up to be Olympians. Heart touching throughout, this spot inserts emotion and empathy by the bucket-load into a company image which has occasionally seemed corporate and alien

BEST NEW OLYMPIC SPORT

Gold: Remote control car racing from BMW, courtesy of the ‘Mini’ RC cars used to ferry discus, shot-put, hammer and javelin equipment around the stadium. Whilst no branding is allowed inside the stadium, the little cars were hugely recognizable, loved by spectators and look quite a lot of fun.

Silver: Hackney Brewery, a small microbrewery in London takes the medal for their inspired range of beermat based events, perfect for an impromptu pub game. The branded mats feature divers to flip, gymnasts to balance and an impressively mustachioed weightlifter.

MOST WASTED OPPORTUNITY

Gold: This dubious honour goes to a surprising competitor, Heineken. The global brewer is usually an incredibly adept marketer in big sports events, but seems to have dropped off the radar in these Olympics. Heineken had some social media presence, sponsored Holland House, placed Heineken paraphernalia in pubs and gained some exposure of Heineken being served on-site. Less than we were expecting from the brand which excels with the UEFA Champions League and Heineken Cup. In fact the largest exposure the brand received was a backlash from politicians and publicans that an English beer wasn’t being served, a story that reached as far as the US press. Overall a £10 million sponsorship deal well wasted.

UNEXPECTED MOMENT OF GENIUS

Gold: The LED pixel tablets erected along the audience seating in the Olympic station were nothing short of incredible. Running seventy minutes of animation in the opening ceremony alone, this technological kit ensured the whole stadium and not just the stage was brought to life.

Silver: Bolt arms and the Mo-bot in one photo? Wonderful.