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An extraordinary thing happened with the LVMH brands at the 2024 Olympics in Paris last week. The way they rolled out their brands around their sponsorship is game-changing for all brands in the event sponsorship arena. And, for event planners selling their sponsorships? The heavens just opened.
The idea of spectator (and television/YouTube viewers) participation around the brand sponsorship, in one day, moved from first grade to grad school. For our clients who have brands and are looking at the increasing opportunities in event sponsorships, as well as for our event industry clients, this is a pivotal moment in time. Game-changing. Mega trend.
As soon as I read a post by Lesa Ukman, who is the guru around measuring sponsorship success for events, explaining what happened last week, I got her on the phone for a stunning analysis of how LVMH did it and recommendations on what it is going to mean for event planners and sponsorship activity moving forward.
Have a listen as she walks us through it all in just thirty minutes.
What happened at the 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony?
LVMH redefined the concept of brand sponsorship by creating an immersive and multifaceted experience that went beyond traditional advertising. Rather than simply placing their logos on banners and sponsoring specific events, LVMH integrated their brands into the very fabric of the Olympic experience. The torch cases were Louis Vuitton trunks, and you couldn't take your eyes off them. The cases for the medals? The same. They outfitted Céline Dion and Lady Gaga in Dior, and that's all the commentators were talking about.
Céline Dion & Lady Gaga in Dior
They curated exclusive pop-up shops featuring limited-edition merchandise, hosted lavish VIP events showcasing their latest collections, and created interactive installations that allowed attendees to engage with their brands in unique and memorable ways. This approach transformed the Olympics into a dynamic platform for brand storytelling and consumer engagement, elevating the standard for what sponsorship can achieve. Virtual experiences, live-streamed fashion shows, and augmented reality try-ons allowed global audiences to participate in the excitement, breaking down the barriers between the brand and its consumers. This innovative use of technology not only amplified their presence but also set a new precedent for how brands can connect with audiences in a hybrid physical-digital world.
But the real explosion? The IOC doesn't allow brand banners in stadiums or along the routes of the games. So, VISA, for example, which paid millions more than LVMH, who signed on as the local French Olympic sponsor for a substantially smaller investment, got nothing. It was a stunning upset to the traditions of brand sponsorship that have been set in stone for decades.
For years, I sat in a box at the US Open Tennis Championships across from the Chase logo. I stared at it for 10 days. I bank at Bank of America.Logo branding is no longer a game changer.
Heads will roll. Meetings will be had. Marketing teams will be putting their heads in the oven. But more importantly, it fills me with excitement for the future.
Moving forward, brands will likely be able to adopt more holistic and integrated strategies that prioritize consumer engagement and experiential marketing. The success of LVMH at the Paris Olympics demonstrates the potential for brands to not only promote their products and services in unique, creative, customer-building ways but also to offer enriched spectator experiences within the event, creating infinite value for both the event and the attendees. The most recent estimate is that their Olympic participation garnered more than 2.9 billion impressions globally on social media. Yes, billion!
As brands strive to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace, the lessons from LVMH's innovative sponsorship will undoubtedly shape the evolution of event marketing strategies in the years to come.
Get ready. The times they are a-changing. Questions? Get in touch.
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