The Olympics were full of excitement and drama as participants from all over the globe left it all on the line for a place on the podium.
From T.J. Oshie’s four-for-six shootout performance against Team Russia to secure the win for Team USA, to the Dufour-Lapointe sisters holding hands as Justine received gold and sister Chloe received silver in women’s freestyle skiing, the Olympics provided many memorable moments.
However, athletes weren’t the only ones battling it out for the top spot. Brands got in on the action too as they competed for the best medal worthy endorsements.
Here are our gold, silver and bronze winning brand endorsements from the Olympics.
Best Twitter Endorsements
These brands created the best Twitter endorsements during the Olympics.
Proctor & Gamble – Gold
P&G did a great job of using many of their brands to engage followers and relay Olympic action.
Through Twitter their “Thank you, Mom” campaign showcased photos of Olympic stars along with inspirational messages from their mothers.
“Yes, we let him go, but I couldn’t be more proud of the man he’s grown up to be.”—Linda, @NickGoepper’s mom. pic.twitter.com/IGuwwsWwn5
— Thank you Mom by P&G (@ThankYouMom) February 6, 2014
P&G didn’t forget about the gentlemen either. For example, by using Twitter endorsements P&G paired men’s shaving brand, Gillette, with ice hockey player Ryan Suter and also paired Braun with speed skater, J.R. Celski, in order to appeal to a wide range of male viewers.
Because of their ability to reach and engage with a wide range of fans, P&G takes the gold for creating the best and most engaging Olympic Twitter endorsements.
The J.M. Smucker Company – Silver
In what many are considering the biggest endorsement upset of the games, Smucker’s beat out giants United, Coca-Cola, Visa and McDonald’s to take the silver.
How did they do it?
Smucker’s got a lot of love on Twitter from fans for sponsoring the Olympics. For example:
Guys I gotta start buying smuckers jam, they put in Olympic effort and attention to detail #quality
— Adisa (@_AdiOliver) February 15, 2014
@smuckers I love creating recipes with your products But being a sponsor of the Olympics made me fall deeper in love!! #GoUSA #Olympics2014
— Laura (@Anothercentsave) February 13, 2014
That kind of fan support certainly swayed these judges.
TD Ameritrade – Bronze
Every time during the Olympics that fans mentioned #itaddsup, TD donated $1 to help fund the next generation at the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic games.
TD also used their Twitter account to provide up-to-the-minute reactions from competitors and inspirational stories like this one from Katrina Schaber.
OMEGA Watches – Worth Mentioning
Many Olympic events rely on very precise electronic starters, cameras and clocks to time events hinging on mere fractions of a second. OMEGA used Twitter to showcase their precisely accurate time-related goods throughout the Olympics like this Tweet showcasing the OMEGA Scan’O’Vision photo finish camera.
The OMEGA Scan’O’Vision photofinish camera records the action at the finish line at 2000 frames per second! pic.twitter.com/p6SQ3ki5aD
— OMEGA Watches (@omegawatches) February 13, 2014
Best Television Commercial
These brands’ commercials stand atop the podium as the best from the Olympics.
Proctor & Gamble – Gold
P&G’s “Thank you, Mom” campaign was a smash hit and this commercial easily stands above any other at the Olympics. It pays homage to all the hard work, time and dedication mom’s around the world instill in their children and reminds us “Falling only makes us stronger.”
TD Ameritrade – Silver
TD reminds us the road to Olympic stardom is a long term goal requiring one small step at a time. The commercial’s concept is perfect for the brand.
The J.M. Smucker Company – Bronze
Smucker’s takes the bronze right on the heels of TD Ameritrade.
The hard work, dedication and attention to detail that goes into making world class athletes is the same that goes into making Smucker’s. This great ad reminds us “Giving everything you have to get it right is what being the best is all about.” Oh by the way, did we mention Smucker’s is made in the USA?
United – Worth Mentioning
This commercial does a great job of appealing to a wide range of viewers by showcasing a variety of Team USA athletes. If Untied can transport each Team USA athlete and all their gear, then they can handle any travel accommodations.
Best All-Around Endorsement Campaign
These brands put it all together going above and beyond the competition to secure their spots as the best endorsers at the Sochi Olympics.
Proctor & Gamble – Gold
P&G had an excellent strategy to appeal to a wide range of Olympic viewers. They used a wide range of their products and brands to pair with various athletes in order to appeal to a wide variety of Olympic viewers.
It is tough to compete with P&G’s “Thank you, Mom” campaign. The campaign appeals to moms and families so well and P&G did an excellent job creating the campaign.
Overall, P&G covered every base with their Olympic campaign and because of that they swept the competition by winning gold in every Olympic endorsement category.
The J.M. Smucker Company – Silver
Throughout the endorsement battles Smucker’s became a fan favorite on Twitter by capturing the spirit of competition and continually rising to the occasion.
Their television spot received high praise on Twitter, and that kind of two-for-one authentic and sincere praise scored well with the judges.
I just screamed at my tv during the @EvanLysacek @smuckers commercial! Ahh!! Evan’s the best (always!). #sochi2014
— Katie Davis (@SKatieDavis) February 12, 2014
The Smuckers Olympic commercial with Evan Lysacek is so awesome and inspiring
— Juliana Workman (@gofigure716) February 8, 2014
Both athletes wanting a quick energy boost and viewers curling up on the couch with a blanket watching the games seemed to enjoy a PB&J made with Smucker’s and Jif (owned by Smucker’s).
Smucker’s praise on Twitter is proof that they did a great job of using television and Twitter to appeal to viewers and athletes alike. Because of that success, they pull another upset and take down some of the heavily favored brands. Plus, how good does this look!
Try our Stars & Stripes Fruity Breakfast Parfait for a winning breakfast combination! http://t.co/Z7Va5FXiPG pic.twitter.com/QMi4M7DkBH
— Smucker’s (@smuckers) February 15, 2014
TD Ameritrade – Bronze
#itaddsup is a great way to jumpstart funding for the next group of Olympians. It shows TD is invested in the Olympics for the long term.
TD’s commercials were spot on for the company’s image and stirred up nostalgia for any former athlete. They selected a specific group of athlete endorsers allowing themselves to reach target demography.
United – Worth Mentioning
United did a great job showing why they are the official travel method for Team USA.
United is #TeamUSAfriendly and have showed their red, white and blue support as the official airline of the USA Olympic and Paralympic teams for over 34 years. Without United how else would Team USA be able to get all their athletes and equipment to Sochi? Speed skater Shani Davis and ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson certainly are thankful for United.
Shout out to @United for getting me and my cargo (skates) to Sochi this week & thanks for always being #TeamUSAfriendly!
— Shani Davis (@ShaniDavis) January 28, 2014
Thanks to United Airlines for helping me and all my equipment make it around the world! @united True sponsor! pic.twitter.com/VTWqv4fjCS
— Sarah Hendrickson (@schendrickson) January 27, 2014
United had a plan to showcase Olympic travel experiences and they executed it.
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