Top Sportswear Brands and Athlete Partnerships at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Table of Contents

• What Were the Top Sportswear Brands on Social Media During the Paris 2024 Olympics?
• How Nike Rose to the Top with Basketball Brand Ambassadors
• Adidas' Expert Sportswear Influencer Casting Strategy Across Countries and Sports
• Lululemon's Investment in Team Canada Athletes and Its Paris 2024 Olympic Kits
• How Can Brands Replicate These Strategies With Sportswear Influencer During Major Sporting Events

The Top Sportswear Brands on Social Media During Paris 2024

During the Paris 2024 Olympics, sportswear giants Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon successfully increased their visibility through social media by leveraging athlete partnerships. During the Games, these three companies captured 71% of the market's $45.2 million in Earned Media Value (EMV), emphasizing the significance of athlete collaborations connected to national team sponsorships. Sponsoring national team jerseys transformed Olympic athletes into brand ambassadors, resulting in heightened brand exposure and increased average engagement rates on social media. The success of these top brands is attributed to their strategic partnerships with both emerging and established athletes, allowing them to reach diverse audiences effectively. The athlete kits, containing branded clothing for athletes to showcase during the Games, generated a wealth of organic content that quickly gained traction on social media. This approach of diversifying athlete collaborations and providing tangible materials for social media posts is a model for other sportswear brands aiming to improve their influencer campaigns and enhance brand visibility at major sporting events. By adopting this strategy, brands can significantly amplify their social media presence and reinforce customer loyalty.

#1 Nike: $17.5M in Earned Media Value

Nike's collaborations with athletes and international teams for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games uphold its tradition of merging advanced sports technology with sleek, innovative designs. Below is an overview of key partnerships that contributed to the brand's social media success, significantly driven by Nike's existing brand ambassadors and other athlete partnerships:

Top Athlete Collaborations:

Nike's partnership with basketball teams involves designing game-day jerseys and signature sneakers for players such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, focusing on comfort, durability, and style. The company leveraged these star athletes as key pillars of its social media strategy to increase brand visibility during games. Basketball was one of the prominent sports at the Paris 2024 Olympics, featuring renowned athletes and attracting a large viewership, a perfect match for Nike's Olympic campaign goals.

Basketball Players:

Nike continued its partnership with its brand ambassadors and basketball teams at the Paris 2024 Olympics by designing game-day jerseys and signature sneakers for players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The designs focused on comfort, durability, and style.

Three basketball players collaborated with Nike during the Paris Olympics, generating the most Earned Media Value. These players were Giannis Antetokounmpo of Team Greece, LeBron James of Team USA, and Victor Wembanyama of Team France. As top stars in the basketball world, they have massive visibility on social media. Together, their combined EMV amounted to $10.6 million, representing 23% of the total visibility of the sportswear vertical. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo showcased his collaboration with Nike by launching the Giannis Freak 6 shoes. LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama also collaborated with Nike to create an Instagram video featuring their performance on the court during the Olympic Games, with a classic Nike slogan overlay. These three posts achieved an average engagement rate of 7.5%, which is exceptionally high for influencers with millions of followers. This metric indicates that these basketball stars' audiences were highly engaged and dedicated to their favorite athletes during the Olympics, making it an ideal time for brands to collaborate with athletes and participate in the Games.

#2 Adidas: $9.4M in Earned Media Value

Adidas made a strong impression at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with its partnerships with athletes and national teams. Their emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and performance in their kits and equipment resulted in substantial success on social media. The brand's accomplishments were primarily driven by its partnerships with athletes across different sports, contributing to increased engagement and brand exposure on various social media platforms.

Top Athlete Collaborations:

Adidas has long-standing partnerships with world-renowned athletes across multiple disciplines. For the Paris 2024 Olympics, these athlete partnerships continued with both established and emerging stars, expanding the audience exposed to Adidas' sponsored content.

Tom Daley (Diving) - Team Great Britain

Adidas has been sponsoring Daley, a prominent figure in the diving world and a key athlete at the Summer Olympic Games, since his debut in 2016. He was a crucial brand ambassador for Adidas at Paris 2024, generating the highest EMV figure among all Adidas athletes at $5.29M. Known for his thrilling performances and charisma, he has become a central figure in Adidas' marketing for the Games. His social media posts featuring the brand included a collaborative post with Daley sharing his aspirations and Adidas being tagged in all his swimwear shots, contributing significantly to the brand's visibility on social media.

Anthony Edwards (Basketball) - Team USA

American basketball star Anthony Edwards teamed up with Adidas for a series of posts and a brand event. He showcased his personalized Adidas shoes worn during the Olympic Games. He collaborated with Adidas for a post-Olympic brand event in Paris, where he encouraged young athletes to compete and explore new sports. Edwards' posts generated $2.52 million in Earned Media Value, with influencer metrics tracking showing an average engagement rate of 16%, a 60% increase from his usual rate.

Alexander Zverev (Tennis) - Team Germany

German tennis player Alexander Zverev is another star athlete sponsored by Adidas. He demonstrated his skills while wearing Adidas gear and won Olympic gold. Zverev created six Instagram posts, tagged Adidas, and generated $611K in value, the second-highest amount among male tennis players collaborating with sportswear influencers.

Adidas' use of influencer metrics and careful influencer campaign management allowed the brand to maximize its partnerships at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, driving strong visibility and engagement across social media platforms.

#3 Lululemon: $4.52M in Earned Media Value

Lululemon's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games showcased a strategic approach to driving social media visibility and building brand loyalty. As the official outfitter for Team Canada, Lululemon designed the athletes' uniforms, which became a focal point on and off the field. This partnership strengthened their connection with Canadian athletes and positioned the brand globally at the center of Olympic conversations. 

Top Athlete Collaborations:

By collaborating with prominent athletes and utilizing its Team Canada athletic kits, Lululemon maximized its exposure across multiple social channels. Team Canada's Lululemon uniforms, known for their performance and style, sparked widespread, organic conversation among sportswear influencers, leading to increased influencer engagement and a boost in Earned Media Value (EMV). Integrating athlete sponsorships proved effective and crucial in reinforcing brand loyalty, as fans and athletes associated the brand with national pride and elite performance. 

Sarah Douglas (Sailing) - Team Canada

During the Paris Olympics, Canadian sailor Sarah Douglas went viral on TikTok by showcasing Team Canada's athlete kit, designed by Lululemon. Despite not being an official partner of the brand, Douglas generated $1.02 million in Earned Media Value and became the top Key Opinion Leader discussing Lululemon during the Games. Her four posts mentioning the brand received significant engagement from TikTok audiences, with an average engagement rate of 1467%! Douglas' success on TikTok demonstrates that in niche sports like sailing, brands have substantial opportunities to partner with untapped athletes with dedicated audiences and break through the noise.   

Félix Dolci (Gymnastics) - Team Canada

Canadian gymnast Félix Dolci teamed up with Lululemon to create a TikTok video pre-Olympic competition. The post showcased Dolci practicing in the gym while wearing Lululemon apparel. It gained significant attention on the platform, with over 5.9 million views. Audiences were highly engaged with the post, captivated by Dolci’s impressive athletic feats and muscular build. The post achieved an average engagement rate of 57% and an EMV of $590K, proving that a single branded post can significantly impact visibility.

Syla Swords (Basketball) - Team Canada

Canadian basketball player Syla Swords was the youngest women’s basketball player ever to play on Team Canada. Even with a small audience of 7K followers on Instagram, Swords accounted for the third-highest EMV among athletes mentioning Lululemon. Swords’ singular unsponsored post on Instagram featured her showing off her Lululemon athlete kit. The post drummed up excitement and interest among her followers and broader audiences on Instagram, achieving $439K in EMV with 4.4M views and an engagement rate of 841%. 

To Conclude

Collaborating with brand ambassadors during the Paris Olympics and other major sporting events offers sportswear brands a powerful way to boost brand visibility and engage with diverse audiences. These athlete partnerships allow athletes to showcase branded apparel globally and enable brands to tap into the athletes’ loyal fanbases. By aligning with high-profile athletes, sportswear companies can generate significant media attention, as seen in the rise of Earned Media Value (EMV) across leading brands like Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon. These collaborations enhance social media presence, spark organic conversations, and drive engagement, impacting brand loyalty. By leveraging the reach and influence of top athletes, brands can optimize their campaigns and stand out during key sporting events, ensuring immediate visibility and long-term consumer trust.