The 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics lived up to be one of the most enjoyable Olympics in recent memories. Viewers from all over the world tuned in to watch their native countries compete for the Gold medal in the beautiful city of Beijing. America had the pleasure of watching Michael Phelps break an all-time record by winning eight gold medals. The final ranking of total medals ranked the United States third with 98, only behind Great Britain with 102 and China in first with 207. There were many truly remarkable moments during competition. However, another enjoyable aspect of the 2008 Beijing Olympics were some of the excellent commercial spots that ran.
The 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics allowed for some of the biggest spending from Advertisers and Corporate sponsors. The Olympics always sets a stage for advertisers to reach millions of viewers. How can we mention advertising during the Olympics and not mention Nike? Two very popular spots that ran were from Nike. The first being Nike’s “Courage” spot. The commercial featured the song “All These Things I’ve Done” from rock sensation The Killers. The spot really captured competition, and courage; with the ending featuring Nike’s twenty year old tagline, Just Do It. The second spot that Nike ran was for “Nike Basketball”. The spot focused on the Dream Team who went on a dominating path to win the Gold Medal in men’s basketball. The commercial also featured a classic performance of the National Anthem performed by Marvin Gaye.
Visa ran a great spot titled “Go World” featuring a video highlight of Michael Phelps. The commercial was a success due to the constant coverage and interest in the American swimmer. One particular commercial that was entertaining was McDonald’s “Let The Games Begin” spot. The commercial theme was just that, preparing viewers for an exciting, entertaining Olympics. Coca-Cola, of course, featured a very creative and entertaining spot “The Birdsnest” The spot cleverly paid homage to the aesthetically appealing Birdsnest stadium in Beijing, which was specifically build to hold the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In the end, the 2008 Beijing Olympics were a huge success. NBC witnessed great ratings throughout the Olympics. According to Neilsen Media Research, 85% of all US (television) households have spent at least some time in front of the tube watching Olympics related broadcasts. The commercials that ran were all clever and entertaining, but more importantly, appropriate for the Olympic theme. Viewers will have to wait until the Super Bowl to witness once again, a big stage for commercials to run during a high profiled event. We can only hope that the Philadelphia Eagles can be a part of the big stage, come February 2009.