With day after day of world-class performances, #Rio2016 was truly inspiring. And we’re not just talking about all those athletes. You know us: we’re inspired by examples of great creativity by brands on Twitter.
The Olympics brought out the best in some of our favourite players. From furniture to fast food, tech to telco, brands were nailing it with funny, inspirational and congratulatory Tweets throughout the Games. Here are just a few of the top finishers:
- Nando’s
Nando’s (@NandosUK) was quick off the mark with a hot GIF. Simple, but it spoke loudly and was rewarded by plenty of engagement.
- Virgin Media
Virgin Media (@VirginMedia) led the cheering for @UsainBolt – the star of its custom #BeTheFastest emoji. The brand did this throughout the Games with a slew of great Tweets, some of which you can see in this Moment.
- Samsung
Samsung (@SamsungUK and @SamsungMobile) went the distance with videos from the sublime to the ridiculous. Samsung turned its hand to a huge variety of Twitter tools to bring its #Rio2016 campaign to life including First View, cinemagraphs, Conversational Ads, Moment Maker, and GIFs. It also went big with reactive content.
- Nissan
NIssan (@NissanUK) kicked off its Olympics campaign with a premium First View promoting its official sponsorship of #Rio2016. We saw unsuspecting Olympians and Paralympians being asked to take part in spoof marketing ploys for Nissan. This strong video content, supported by GIFs and image Tweets, worked well for the brand because of the humour used.
- DFS
DFS (@DFS) had @TeamGB athletes trying out its #flipit game (flip beer mats, catch them). It also achieved what we think is a world first by interviewing #TeamGB gymnasts…doing headstands.
- Innocent
A consistent performer, Innocent (@Innocent) did not disappoint during #Rio2016. It was on form throughout. And it was definitely on form with this Vine and a creative use of soundtrack as it brought #EquestrianDressage and Kanye West together at last.
- Pizza Hut
Many of us spent hours watching sports that seldom grace our TV screens. One of the big draws was the grace of the Olympic divers. @pizzahut ably stepped in here with its top diving tips.
- Always
Always (@Always) featured its brand ambassador Laura Trott. It also made good use of a Conversational Ad and was fast to react to a golden opportunity for its #LikeAGirl campaign:
- Warner
We saw the Olympic spirit shine brightly many times during #Rio2016, highlighting that it’s not only about winning, but giving all you’ve got. Almost exactly like Jonah Hill and Miles Teller in the new @WarnerBrosEnt film @wardogsmovie.
- Adidas
Adidas Running (@adidasrunning) ran a series of Tweets with copy as strong as its images, featuring some of its stars including @rudishadavid, @WaydeDreamer and @J_Ennis.
- Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola (@CocaCola_GB) entertained with a series of inventive GIFs during #Rio2016 and finished strong with this classy celebratory Tweet.
