Research shows Olympic-themed ads topping viewer likeability ratings
Published February 26, 2010
Advertisements featuring content related to the Winter Olympic Games were among the most favorably received in a recent Nielsen study tracking the likeability of current ads.
The company said that "six of the 10 most liked ads contained an Olympics theme. The ads, aired by Visa, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble, included either a direct mention to the Olympics or imagery alluding to the games."
The top-rated advertisement, according to Nielsen, featured Dan Jansen, the former Olympic speed skater and current commentator for NBC. It detailed the tragic loss of his sister Jane to cancer, follows him through several Olympic setbacks, and ends with his gold medal win at the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway - which he celebrated with his young daughter, also named Jane.
Nielsen said that "Visa placed two more ads on the top 10 list, including a spot featuring U.S. skier Julia Mancuso, which earned likeability levels twice as much as the average."
Digital marketing practitioners could take a page from their TV-based colleagues, given the success of Olympic-themed advertising during the Vancouver Games.