This Olympics, There Are 4 Winners on the Podium

The three medallists, and Samsung’s ‘Victory Selfie’.

This year’s Olympic Games in Paris has once again captured the attention of the world, with nonstop action and 17 Olympic records broken in the first six days, but it’s not just the athletes who are pushing boundaries. Sponsors - offered unprecedented new opportunities in an effort to rely less on taxpayers - have also been breaking new ground. 

You’ve probably noticed it. There’s something at this year’s medal ceremonies that we’ve never seen before. The medals have been presented, the flags raised, and the national anthem played, but then... a hand extends from out-of-frame with what looks like a shiny Gameboy Advance. 

This is in fact Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition, handed to athletes on all 329 podiums of The Games for them to capture their own ‘Victory Selfie’ – something previously impossible due to stringent IOC social media rules.

While athletes are otherwise forbidden from having their own phones with them at the ceremonies, and from taking and posting pics or videos within an hour of the start of their competition, selfies taken using this borrowed phone can later be downloaded via the Athlete365 app for competitors’ own use. 

So why is this interesting? 

From a brand perspective, this is product placement 2.0. Whilst it takes a keen eye to spot the Louis Vuitton medal trays, there is little to no chance of missing the athletes huddling together to take a cheesy snap on Samsung’s phone; it has become part and parcel of the medal broadcast. 

Not only this, but viewers are actually seeing the product in action, flaunting it’s key feature while in signature fold-mode. Speaking to the FT, Samsung said that while they didn’t pay an additional fee for the medal ceremony placement, they’ve been discussing it since last year and “will continue to explore innovative activation opportunities for future Games”.

The value also extends to those stood upon the podium. Until now, athletes have only been able to relive their golden moments through the lens of accredited media. Thanks to this Samsung-shaped loophole, they are now afforded something much more personal. It might just be a selfie, but the power of this is in the meaning.

Research published in the journal, Social Psychological and Personality Science, concluded that “first-person photos, which capture the scene as viewed through one’s own eyes, best represent the physical experience of an event. On the other hand, third-person photos, such as selfies, are more effective in conveying the deeper meaning of an event in people’s lives.” Samsung has stepped up to this truth, facilitating a sense of closeness with athletes, and by proxy, with consumers. 

It's not the only thing they’re doing for the competing teams though. The sponsor has also gifted their limited-edition phone to all 10,500 athletes at the Olympics – equipping a potential army of role-model influencers.

Finally, for the IOC, who have highlighted their desire to usher in a new era for the Olympics that engages younger viewers, this is the type of content that younger audiences will respond to and are accustomed to seeing. 

What Samsung demonstrates is an example of how rightsholders and brands can achieve all-round value through brutally simple innovation.

In a time where brands want to achieve ‘closeness’ more than ever, those that look to establish a genuine, often emotional, connection will win. In this instance, the meaning captured in the Victory Selfie transcends the detached official photography for both athletes and audiences.

Samsung aren’t the only sponsor harnessing the power of closeness with its Olympic content; Old El Paso’s ‘Final Fajita’ content captured the magic of the final mealtime athletes share with their families before they leave for The Games – a candid and sincere spotlighting of their ‘Home Teams’.

Content that is unique to the sea of distanced, professional photography and films found everywhere else, crucially tapping into emotion and personality, tends to be more interesting and convincing, and I’m excited to see more campaigns that innovate around closeness.

For now, time to enjoy the rest of the action!