In the Spirit of Games

After I caught up on some homework this weekend I was able to watch some of the Olympic games. Not only were the Olympics fascinating, but also the ads were really good. It got me to thinking about the evolution of Olympic commercials. The library of Olympic commercials I was able to find pleasantly surprised me. This one below was one of my favorites in particular. This commercial immediately pulled at my emotions (yes I am corny I know) but I felt a since of happiness and enthusiasm for this athlete who I have never heard of. Then it dawned on me. This vintage commercial used a simple remedy the Olympics has coined. It human emotion mixed with strategic brand placement. Reaction to human emotion is unavoidable. Mixing in brand placement allows the audience to have an emotional response to both the people and product in the message. I think marketers have a recipe that will never age. We all wait for the Olympics with great expectations. Whether it is the athletes you love, or screaming your country name, big business is the stepchild hitching along for the ride.