Podium Finish: Which Olympic Ads Are the Ones to Beat in 2028

After an epic summer of sport and wall to wall coverage of Paris’s pinnacle Olympics showcase, I’m bereft. How will I get my fix of competitive diving, prancing horses and hands-in-pocket sharpshooting? Just like old Tom clinging onto the Hollywood sign for the next four years, I’m not quite ready to let go yet. 

Whether you’re looking to tell an inspiring story of potential or redemption, connect fans and communities in new ways, hero the unsung heroes, or tap into the positivity, values and excitement of an entirely new event, sport is such a good opportunity for advertising. And no stage is bigger than the Olympics. I’ve pulled together some of the campaigns I think are ones to beat in 2028.

The purposeful one:

The only choice for me is ‘Considering what?’ for Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympics. Not only does it build on a legacy of exceptional work, but is a bold and powerful response to an astute insight. It’s the perfect balance of tight copywriting and art direction doing what a great Olympics ad should - grabbing your attention to celebrate exceptional athleticism and human performance.

The attention-grabbing one:

It’s got to be Nike and ‘Winning Isn’t For Everyone’. Yes it bucks the trend of inclusivity and goes against the ‘spirit of the Games’, but it strikes right at the heart of what it is to be relentless about performance and truly elite. Nike has realised that in being relevant to everyone, it’s been resonant to no one, and in this campaign (print in particular) has gone back to its confident best. And as an ad geek, it reminds me of those older Nike ads from the 90s by Simons Palmer Denton Clemmow and Johnson that made doing this work exciting in the first place.

The storytelling one:

My pick would be Powerade “The Vault” with Simone Biles. Single-minded in its narrative focus, but a brilliant one about the importance of physical and mental health, and the personal motivations of one of the Olympic Games' greatest champions. It’s positive, undeniably about performance, and shot with such focus that you can’t help being sucked into her story. 

The star-building one:

Seeing as I’ve already picked Nike and Powerade, and they arguably have the starriest of power, I’ll go for Omega as a podium finisher. The Official Timekeeper of the Games, the brand turns Paris into the star of the show, celebrating the architectural beauty and culture of the city in a slick edit, as well as introducing one of the athletes of the event, Léon Marchand. (Also worth a look at Omega’s tone-perfect vignette with him too).

The perfectly on brand one:

BBC Creative and ‘Welcome to the city of love’. It typifies the great animations we’ve come to expect of the BBC for its signature coverage, and expertly draws parallels between the romantic love Paris is known for and the love athletes have for their sports. As soon as I saw it I knew I was ready to start my own endurance event… watching every bit of coverage I could.

The worldbuilding one:

Now it might have been a tad wet, but the opening of the Games had everyone glued to their screens. And for two lucky guests, Airbnb gave them the perfect vantage point of the ceremony with its standout one night only stay at Musée d’Orsay. Not only was it an exceptional build on its Icon one-of-a-kind stays, but it also brought you into the world of Parisian culture and history in a truly unique way. Created in collaboration with the designer of the Olympic Torch and Cauldron for the Paris Games, Mathieu Lehanneur, it was worldbuilding in a way only Airbnb can. Sport. Culture. Style. C’est magnifique.

The legacy one:

Unveiled in the run up to the Games, the IOC launched the latest stage of its campaign in support of the Refugee Olympic Team. A team representing more than 100 million displaced people around the world, each of the 36 athletes overcame incredible odds to get to Paris, reflecting the true spirit of the Games as a platform celebrating ambition, dreams and unity. One I only hope continues to grow over the next four years as we head towards LA.

About: Ben Peckett is a group creative director at Amplify and avid armchair athlete.