From Qin Haiyang to Snoop Dogg: Olympic marketing moments

What happened: While brands seeking global primetime TV exposure compete to sponsor athletes and sporting events, what is going viral at the Paris Olympics 2024 has been unpredictable thus far. Luxury watch brand Tag Heuer was likely happy to see its newly named brand ambassador, Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang become a trending topic for his supermodel-level strut out on Sunday for the 100m breaststroke semi-finals, donning a billowy red puffer jacket and goggles. There are now 28.1 million posts relating to the athlete on TikTok. Another effortlessly cool sportsman dominating the limelight is South Korean 10-meter-air-pistol shooter Kim Yeji, who broke a world record and hardly flinched at the result, spawning video memes across social media channels in China, and beyond. In each short clip, Yeji is seen very clearly sporting Fila – the potential of kitting out the world’s leading athletes is golden marketing. Aside from viral athlete moments, Fenty Beauty’s official partnership with the Paris Olympics and Paralympics has also been a stand-out headline, with Rihanna’s announcement of the development garnering 2.8 million likes on Instagram. Along with that, Snoop Dogg’s torch-bearing moment, the custom-made Louis Vuitton medal trays, and all of the Olympic athlete gear hauls are among the moments that have caught the most attention online, so far. The Jing Take: A world sporting event hosting more than 10,500 athletes, the Olympics was already the ultimate marketing opportunity before it began. On Weibo, #Paris Olympics 2024 (#2024年巴黎奥运会) has over 2 billion reads. Predicting viral moments is a risky endeavor, but the sporting showcase’s fashion marketing potential is huge for brands. The case of Chinese actress Liu Shishi, an Omega ambassador who attended the Paris Olympics, exemplifies this. Her outfits, blending North Asian elements and traditional culture, captivated audiences, propelling her hashtag, #LiuShishiParisOlympicsThreeLooks, to 29 million views on Weibo. The recent online surge in mentions of Ralph Lauren also illuminates this opportunity. Its role as the official outfitter for the US Olympic team, coupled with its involvement in high-profile events such as Wimbledon, has led to a remarkable 115% increase in searches this month, according to global shopping platform Lyst. These examples highlight how brands can leverage the visibility and prestige of athletes and sporting events to significantly boost their market presence. Though the virality of specific moments is unpredictable, the integration of fashion and sports, particularly on grand stages like the Olympics, offers brands a strategic avenue to capture global attention. By aligning with athletes and sporting events, brands can create powerful, culturally resonant moments that drive substantial engagement and elevate their visibility. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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From Qin Haiyang to Snoop Dogg: Olympic marketing moments