The Olympic effect

Have you, like us, been glued to the Olympics? With the closing ceremony on Sunday, it really hit home how needed the Olympics were and the unity, emotion and solidarity they have brought.

The UK has done amazingly well, and it has been so inspiring learning about all of these incredible athletes, their back stories and their roads to success. More than any other sport, there seems to be an affinity with Olympians – many have funded themselves to get there, and some are studying full time on the side. They seem real and identifiable people who are juggling a number of things and hugely driven.

The Olympic impact of audience has been fascinating to watch. Would the lack of a crowd impact the athletes and not spur them on, or lose that all-important atmosphere? As we witnessed world records being made, personal bests beaten and performances of a lifetime happening, it can safely be said no one should have worried. The atmosphere has been electric and the performances legendary.

As the Olympics progressed, so did the wave of interest, support and camaraderie. With news that the UK was enjoying its most successful games ever, people suddenly wanted to know more about these exceptional athletes and their stories. They also wanted to bask in the glory of the headline stories such as Tom Daley and Bethany Shriever’s golds. The UK were smashing it and in light of the year we have all had and the struggles with it, these victories felt sweeter than ever.

From a Fox&Bear point of view, the Olympic campaign has been a masterclass in authenticity, realness and evoking the mood of the audience. In this case, the audience is the nation, and the nation has been through the wringer a bit. So, like with the recent Euros, a chance to come together, celebrate and cheer collectively is a powerful, highly emotional and much-needed experience. The joy we can get as a united audience seeing a 13-year-old get a bronze medal for skateboarding or seeing Max Whitlock secure another gold is priceless and gives hope, happiness and joy at a time when we need it the most.

Evoking emotion is the number one request and demand from the brands that we work with. They want their work to impact their audience in a certain way and often have a number of layers behind that in line with their brand values and mission, such as the rise in sustainability. Emotion is big and allowing your audience to feel what you want them to feel can be hugely evocative and powerful.

We cannot wait for the Paralympics where many more amazing stories will be seen! Will you be watching?