Tag Archive for: Winter Olympics

 

Our own Jen Newberg writes about why the TV spots during the Olympics should be recognized and which ones stood out.

 

Passion. Tears. Excitement. Energy.

I love the Olympics. No, really, I LOVE the Olympics. I love the comradery, the sportsmanship, the joining of nations and people to compete in something they are all so passionate about.

This year, though, there was something besides the actual events that really stood out – the commercials. This year’s commercial line-up caused me to do something very rare. I wasn’t switching channels when they came on, or running to do housework, or getting up for some other reason. I was glued. Why? Simply because they told stories.

 

 

Tugging the world’s heartstrings

I remember when P&G first launched its “Thank you, Mom” series, there were tears. Lots of them. And they didn’t stop this year. Their #LoveOverBias spots still have the “Thank you Mom” message but were slightly more edgy, and despite some controversy, they still had America crying. As Adweek wrote, this campaign truly championed the importance of diversity.

 

 

The journey of an athlete

Then there were the ads that focus on the athletes and their personal journeys. The fast-paced, documentary-style ads with powerful music and emotional stories had me glued. The ones that show athletes never give up and fight to be where they are. These are my favorites this year:

 

 

Despite NBC’s statement sharing the network hit record highs for ad sales, some of its biggest advertisers cut back this year and found other more efficient ways to spend their money, including digital.

 

The rise of storytelling

Since CBC launched its SIDEBAR Studios, I have had the opportunity to understand what makes content really impactful. This year, more than ever, the commercials that stood out was because of the storytelling they were doing. The blur between content and advertising. But, my question remains, will brands start putting more dollars against digital content (like what we’ve been doing at CBC) or will commercials and big-budget ads start to wane away? If the ads continue to have a storytelling approach rather than a selling approach, then they’ll continue to be engaging, inspiring, and successful.

 

 

Jen Newberg
Director of Business Development