“A New World” – Top Activations from 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Sporting events get no bigger than The Olympics. A colossal world-wide spectacle, the Olympic Games feature supreme athletes. There’s also no shortage of media messaging. Brands are looking to create a Michael Phelps-sized splash with consumers.

And what does grand spectacle need but more grand spectacle. Experiential activations are the perfect way to complement the magnificence of the games. Especially when brands like Coca-Cola and Samsung are setting the pace.

The Pineapple Agency knows a thing or three about awesome experiential campaigns. It’s what we do. We wanted to highlight a few amazing activations that impressed us, for you below.

Here are three examples of kick-ass experiential activations from Rio 2016:

  • Samsung: Fans were invited to Samsung Galaxy Studios to interact with the latest tech offerings from the company. Samsung featured Virtual Reality experiences so visitors could live the Olympic sporting life. At select studios there was a 4D experience. This allowed people to kayak as if they were actually on the water. Visitors could also try out Samsung products. The results matched the grand creativity. Samsung, praised for its activation, garnered an incredible 20,635 mentions and racking up an index ranking of 103 points. This made Samsung the standout sponsor of the 2016 Games. The closest competitor was our next entrant:
  • Coca-Cola: As part of their #ThatsGold Campaign, Coca-Cola created a fan zone designed just for teenagers. Smack dab in the heart of Rio De Janeiro. The space was inspired by the bubbles inside a Coke bottle. It also housed several experiential installations specifically designed for one purpose—to Tweet, Snap and share. For Coke, being teens being social was the thing. An estimated 150,000 fans visited the station during the games. Coca-Cola placed second to Samsung with 17,405 mentions and 94 points on the index ranking scale. Wow!
  • Panasonic: Panasonic’s Stadium of Wonders tech showcase was created to allow fans to design their own Olympic moments, and learn the history of the games. The Activation included the latest tech and showcased transparent screens and new Light ID technology. Experiential activations for a sporting event such as this should be big, showy and exciting. The Games themselves are a spectacle. If you’re going to compete with them, you better bring your “A” game and knock it out of the park. These brands understood this. They also understood who their audience was; creating something their fans were excited to be a part of.

Have you ever attended an Olympic event? Image, showing up for an event and taking part in an experiential campaign. Who wouldn’t want to jump into a bubble from a Coke bottle? I’m standing in that line all day.

Want to learn how The Pineapple Agency can inject a little spice into your product or brand?

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