Olympics: it’s all about branding

Euro 2004 is almost over, so it’s time to start thinking about the Olympic Games, another key moment in a brand’s life. AdLatina (in Spanish, free reg.)dedicates the first seasonal article to the advertising power of the Olympics, analysing the branding relevance of the event. Usually the Games are an occasion for global branding (one ad fits all targets), this year the trend seems to go local, with more targeted messages to specific audiences, aimed to reinforce already existing branding messages.
McDonald’s for example, will take advantage of the Olympics to support its “I’m loving it” campaign. They created seven tv spots, three of them are not directly connected to the Games.
Further examples quoted in the article explain Coca-Cola, Visa and Kodak’s summer strategies.