In Praise of Paris: Delivering on the ‘Games Wide Open’ Pledge

As production lead within 160over90’s experiential division across EMEA, Gordon Reid has worked extensively in Paris over the past five years delivering experiences for brands and organisations including Nike, Visa and Sanofi. His time in the French capital involved leading on client activations plus joining the hordes of fans to explore the open city backdrop of the Games.  

LBB> This isn’t your first Games experience, is it? 

Gordon> My earliest memories of the Olympics are as a young teen watching Michael Jordan and the US Men’s Basketball team, the Dream Team, at the Barcelona Games in 1992 - it’s the reason I’ve played basketball ever since.   

Workwise, London 2012 was my first Olympics, working to elevate the fan experience at the All England Club to global standards. Standout moments include the opening ceremony, Super Saturday at the stadium and of course watching Andy Murray win. The planning, the level of detail, the last mile, the games makers and the city takeover made a lasting impression on how I approach events and still makes me proud today. 

LBB> What were your Paris Games production expectations? 

Gordon> Whereas at the 2012 Games I worked for LOCOG, this Olympics involved working with brands that were official sponsors including Coca-Cola and Visa. From our initial trips to source venues through to the final site visits, I watched the city transform, in part due to the drive to deliver the ‘Games Wide Open’ pledge that the Paris organising committee promised. It felt easier to get around on foot and bike, and the focus on making the experience more sustainable could be seen with the understated yet still perfectly functional signage. If 20,000 folk can get to the La Defense arena on a weekly basis then why can’t they find their way there for the Games?  

LBB> Any unforeseen challenges?  

Gordon>Aside from the rain? Pre-event, navigating the legislation around the right to work post-Brexit remains challenging – especially through the Olympics lens. Would our teams fall under that as we were delivering work for clients, or not?  

Then, there are the usual Olympics restrictions but thrown in alongside that, there seemed to be a daily update needed on route closures, as roads that were accessible would unexpectedly close, while other points that were inaccessible would suddenly reopen. 

LBB> Views on the opening ceremony experience? 

Gordon> Our client activations were right on the banks of the Seine, affording the audience the most incredible views. You couldn’t have been closer to the athletes who sailed past every few minutes. The show was certainly dampened by the weather, with some of the more spectacular elements of the flares from the bridge and the glittering river washed out. But this was also a show made for television and global broadcast and in that respect, it was the perfect advert for the city of Paris. 

LBB> The moment that stood out to you? 

Gordon> Attending the events is always the highlight. I was lucky enough to see Marchand in action and even in the heat, the noise was palpable, at the Concorde, the 3x3 French basketball team winning on a walk off basket was crazy, especially with the Eiffel Tower shimmering in the background. Steph Curry’s Nuit Nuit was ridiculous for me, but the biggest standout was seeing the city embrace the Games. Tourists sometimes comment on the attitude of Parisien cafes – seeing these completely transformed with crowds chilling and watching the games made for a brilliant atmosphere. It was supportive for all the athletes but when the French stepped up it was amazing.  

LBB> Any ‘I wish I worked on’ moments? 

Gordon>Despite the fuss around the Seine and how clean it is, the triathlon was incredible, the venue was unrivalled, the route was spectacular, the crowds huge, the atmosphere electric and the athletes delivered two phenomenal races. 

Brandside, Nike smashed out the park again. Their hub at the Pompidou, the inspiration for the OG Air Max, was mind blowing. Having an oversized Victor Wembanyama glide across the frontage was a sensationally surreal entrance to the great exhibition.  

LBB> And did the fan experience match the ‘Games Wide Open’ pledge? 

Gordon> From the Eiffel Tower down the entire stretch of the Champes Elysees, fans could just stroll along and hear the crowds watching the fencing at the Grand Palais or stand on the banks of the Seine and see the triathlon pontoon on one side, and the skateboarders doing their flips on the other. From running to cycling trials, it really felt like fans without tickets could still come to the city and be part of the Games.  

You could buy a ticket to a zone called Le Parc and hang out and see the 3x3 basketball, the skateboarding park and breakdancing, or just walk up to the Tuileries and admire the flame balloon.  

On a catering note, there wasn’t an exemption on alcohol at this sporting event (whereas there was for the Rugby World Cup), which didn’t bother me, but some fans would have liked to enjoy a beer or glass of wine. 

LBB> Any lessons for LA? 

Gordon> They delivered a pretty cool teaser at the end of the Closing Ceremony that was very glamorous and I think that’s what they may lean in to – the glamour and appeal of the Olympic rings at Hollywood. However, I hope they don’t go overboard with that and instead maintain some of the brilliant work delivered at the Paris Games in terms of the continued strive towards gender parity and focusing on raising the profile of the women’s games. Paris having the women’s marathon as the final medal (rather than men’s) underscored the work they’ve done around this although there’s more work to be done behind the scenes to increase the number of women holding executive positions within international sporting federations.  I’d love to see the next Games bring the tailgate atmosphere or pre-events and fan experiences that the US does so well, while also harnessing some of the sustainable approaches that Paris showcased, of using what you have already and really showing off your city.