Though the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics have been plagued by uncertainty due to COVID-19 and controversy, brands are still banking on the excitement of the Games. Here we take a look at how companies—official sponsors or not—are tapping into Olympic fever. 

Allianz 

This year, Allianz began its eight-year tenure as worldwide insurance partner of the Olympic and Paralympic movements. It tapped BBDO for a campaign to convey its message of giving “confidence” to consumers—with the help of dogs. It focuses on the emotional and mental aspect of athletes’ health and depicts how dogs have brought support to two skateboarders, Brazil’s Leticia Bufoni, who qualified for this year’s Olympics, and Dashawn Jordan, who just missed making the U.S. team. On social, the campaign will feature Australian track and field Paralympian Vanessa Low, who trained with her own dog to combat loneliness. 

Comcast’s Xfinity

In one of the most charming ideas we’ve seen so far, Comcast’s Xfinity, an official partner of Team USA, turns to everyday folks to put their own spin on the Olympic Games’ theme song, “Bugler’s Dream.” The “#XfinityFanthem” campaign from 72andSunny shows young and old at home, on the street and in backyards performing the tune in their own respective styles. A TikTok component will crowdsource more content from others putting their own spin, a compilation of which will feature in a 30-second ad to run during the closing ceremony. 

Milk Processor Education 
Program—Got Milk?

The Milk Processor Education Program aka MilkPep, an official sponsor of Team USA, turned to Olympic athletes to give muscle to the famous “Got Milk?” message. The campaign from Gale placed Olympians such as cyclist Kristin Armstrong and karate competitor Ariel Torres in a secret training room behind the fridge of a grocery store, and then captured the candid reactions of shoppers once they discovered what was happening behind the milk jugs. The idea helped to continue MilkPep’s efforts to depict the white stuff as fuel for athletes. 

Nabisco

Speaking of milk, how about some cookies? Nabisco is highlighting its role as the official cookie and cracker sponsor of Team USA at the Olympics and Paralympics with “Snack Together. Win Together.” Among its ads include a playful spot for Oreo that ran during the opening ceremony. It shows a host of athletes having a ball in the pool, on the field and in the court while singing a nursery rhyme-like tune. “Play brings the world together,” the endline reads.

P&G

Procter & Gamble has long branded itself as the “Proud Sponsor of Moms” for the Olympics, with memorable spots that highlight how mothers have supported their budding young athletes on their quest to the Games. The campaign has included such films as the Emmy-winning “Best Job” from Wieden+Kennedy, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (“Birdman,” “The Revenant”). For the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games, the story continues in “Lead With Love,” another emotional ad from W+K that illustrates how moms have nurtured their kids into being not just top athletes but good humans. “We can be the people you taught us to be,” the copy reads.

Prudential

During the opening ceremony, for the first time in a decade, Prudential brought the focus back onto its famous rock. The symbol was introduced in its advertising 125 years ago and returned in a 60-second spot from StrawberryFrog that renews emphasis on the company’s “rock solid” financial solutions, planning and investments, at a time when financial security may seem shaky for many. The company is sponsoring the USA Climbing team, as the sport is another set to make its debut in the Tokyo Games. 

Samsung 

Samsung, an official partner of the Olympics, created a campaign that cleverly fits into the uncertainty around whether or not spectators would be allowed into the stadium by showing how its technology brings the games to them. The campaign from The Community shows how a man on a hike, kids in the classroom and a woman on the subway are swept into the thrill of the competition, thanks to Samsung mobile devices. Even skateboarder Sky Brown, who will make her debut at the Olympics, gets words of advice from her dad as if he’s right by her side. 

Toyota

While Toyota pulled all local advertising in Tokyo, the official Olympics partner will continue to advertise in other markets. An adrenaline-packed ad from Saatchi & Saatchi Australia stars Paralympian wheelchair rugby player Ryley Batt, capturing his fierce athleticism in the arena. It then goes on to show how Toyota’s product planning and development team helped Batt re-engineer his wheelchair to ensure he performed at his peak.

Visa

Visa, which has been an Olympics partner since 1986, will be running an ad about Dr. Madeline Manning Mims, a Black female Olympic champion who struggled to participate in sports and earn commensurate recognition despite her many accomplishments. Visa is also using the Games to roll out its new brand campaign from W+K and identity from design firm Mucho. The brand push illustrates how Visa serves as a “network working for everyone.” The new identity, which features a wordless flag-like icon as well as a reworked wordmark, also appears in the ads. 

On the side

Though not every brand ponied up the bucks to become official “ring bearers,” a number of high-profile companies will be promoting their message during the games, either in NBC ad buys or on their own channels. Here are a few:

Chipotle

In recent months Chipotle has ramped up its marketing around athletes, introducing a “Team Chipotle” menu featuring the favorites of sports figures including soccer player Julie Ertz, WNBA pro Nneka Ogwumike and pro surfer Kolohe Andino. The brand is also bringing back gold foil-wrapped burritos for a limited time to celebrate American athletes who will be competing at the games. (Chipotle first introduced the wrappers in 2011 to celebrate its 18th anniversary.)

Etsy

Etsy isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when you think of Olympics advertising, but the online retailer found a way to tap into the fever of the games in a spot from 72andSunny that draws parallels between its makers and top athletes. “Dreamers make their own victory,” the voiceover says, announcing scenes of various creatives hard at work on their passions (including one man who creates a gorgeous red, white and blue quilt.) “Find greatness in the making,” the endline reads. 

Facebook

Facebook is yet another of the many brands capitalizing on the excitement around skateboarding’s debut in the Olympics. With Droga5, the social media giant created a series of ads themed around the sport, centered on the line “We change the game when we find each other.” The hero film tells the story of Joshua Odamtten, founder of Ghana’s first skate crew Skate Nation GH, who with Surf Ghana founder Sandy Alibo and designer Virgil Abloh helped to popularize skateboarding in the country. Other spots, including one directed by FKA Twigs, highlight the sport of longboard dancing and look back on the evolution of the famous “No Comply” move. The brand says more than 34 million users follow skateboarding creators globally on Instagram and more than 5.7 million are members of Facebook skateboarding groups. 

Ford

With the help of Oscar-winning director Chloé Zao, Ford debuted the latest in its “Built for America” platform created with Wieden+Kennedy New York. The auto brand debuted a new ad that highlighted its sustainability efforts through the lens of the “electrified” version of its classic cars, including the F150 Lightning truck, the Mustang Mach E and the ETransit van. The ad debuted during the opening ceremony, depicting how the more environmentally-friendly versions of the vehicles are improving the lives of everyday consumers while pointing the brand in a new direction.

HP

Like Ford, HP took to the Olympics stage to promote its big-picture sustainability efforts across environmental, equity and human rights issues. Two new spots, also created out of Wieden+Kennedy, broke during the games. One ad, “Parallel Lives,” seen below, centers on the company’s sustainable products made from ocean-bound plastic. Another, "Orchestra," uses a musical metaphor to show how HP champions diverse thinking and recruitment. 

Nike

In the past, Nike has pulled off newsmaking “ambush” campaigns such as 2012’s “Find Your Greatness” push that drew the spotlight away from official Olympics sponsors, including competitor Adidas. Ahead of Tokyo, the brand debuted the latest in its “Play New” campaign, “Best Day Ever.” The spot imagines an idyllic scenario sometime in the future where all the ills of the world are miraculously solved. Those include problems from the sports universe around athletes’ mental health, diversity and more. Olympic and would-be Olympic greats, including track stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sha’Carri Richardson, WNBA player and four-time Olympian Diana Taurasi and skateboarder Sky Brown all make appearances.

Peloton

Like Etsy, Peloton found a way to ride into the Olympics though not an official sponsor. The brand debuted a major push during the opening ceremony entitled “It’s you. That makes us.” Created with Adam&EveDDB, the campaign features Olympians including swimmer Kathleen Baker, track and field star Allyson Felix and Team USA surfer John John Florence, who will be part of the sport’s debut in Tokyo. The campaign aims to highlight the connections that the brand’s global users have made organically. Dara Treseder, Peloton senior VP and global head of marketing and communications, calls it “a love letter to our members and a way to invite new members in.”

Uber

Uber is leveraging the Olympics’ global stage to promote its suite of offerings as a single brand for the first time. The campaign introduces the new tagline “Go get it,” and features people from all walks of life, along with athletes Tony Hawk and his protégé Dalia Lundquist, taking on the world with gusto (finally, after the pandemic put so much on hold). The campaign also marks Uber’s first time advertising during the games.