Olympic Marketing

By Derick Mondalle

The Olympic Games are the most important in sports spirit and athletic excellence, being one of the most important global events that unites people from different cultures around sports. Companies from different sectors invest thousands of millions in sponsorships and advertising campaigns to increase the visibility and prestige of the Olympic Games. This book, Olympic Marketing: Strategies, Challenges and Impacts , explores the multiple facets of this field, covering the history and evolution of games and modern marketing strategies used by global brands. It also examines ethical challenges and controversies, such as ambush marketing and integrity concerns. We invite the reader to explore the world of Olympic marketing, understanding the strategies, challenges and impacts that shape one of the most important events in our time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Jun 27, 2024

Book preview

History and Evolution of the Olympic Games

Origin of Ancient Games

The Olympic Games have a rich and fascinating origin, dating back to ancient Greece. These games, which began in 776 BC, took place in the city of Olympia, located in the Peloponnese region.

According to Paul Christesen, a historian specializing in ancient sports, the Olympic Games were a central event in Greek life, both culturally and religiously (Christesen, 2012).

The first Games were deeply rooted in Greek religion and culture. They were performed in honor of Zeus, the supreme god of the Greek pantheon.

The most widespread legend suggests that Hercules, son of Zeus, was the founder of the Games. This myth reinforces the link of the Games with the worship of the gods and the search for physical and spiritual perfection.

Athletes participating in the Games came from all Greek city-states and competed naked, a practice that symbolized the purity of competition and equality among participants. As Nigel Spivey, professor of classical culture, points out, the nudity of athletes was a symbol of honesty and heroism, characteristics highly valued in ancient Greece (Spivey, 2004).

Competition in the ancient Olympic Games was intense and varied. Events included running races, wrestling, boxing, pankration (a combination of boxing and wrestling), chariot races, and the pentathlon, which consisted of long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, running and struggle. These competitions were not only a demonstration of physical skill, but also of strategy and endurance.

The winners of the Games were treated like heroes in their hometown. They were awarded laurel wreaths and often entitled to lifelong benefits, such as free meals and places of honor at public events.

Additionally, their victories were immortalized in poetry and sculpture, as historian David C. Young points out: "Olympic victors were celebrated not only as exceptional athletes, but also as examples of excellence and virtue » (Young, 1984).

Every four years, during the Games, a sacred truce called ekecheiria was proclaimed, which suspended all wars and conflicts between the Greek city-states.

This practice allowed athletes and spectators to travel safely to Olympia. According to Christesen, the ekecheiria was a testament to the unifying power of the Olympic Games, highlighting the importance of peace and brotherhood in Greek culture (Christesen, 2012).

However, over the centuries, the ancient Games began to decline. Roman invasions and the subsequent domination of Greece contributed to the gradual loss of its importance. In 393 AD, Roman Emperor Theodosius I, a devout Christian, abolished the Games, considering them a pagan relic incompatible with Christian values.

The history of the ancient Olympic Games offers us deep insight into the culture and values of ancient Greece. These were not only sporting competitions, but also events celebrating religion, unity and human excellence. As Spivey concludes, the Games were a microcosm of Greek society, reflecting its ideals, its passions and its quest for perfection (Spivey, 2004).

This rich heritage formed the basis on which the modern Games have been resurrected, continuing to inspire and unite people around the world in the celebration of sportsmanship and global brotherhood.

The Renaissance of the Modern Olympic Games

After more than a thousand years of oblivion, the Olympic Games experienced a renaissance at the end of the 19th century, thanks to the visionary efforts of Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Born in France in 1863, Coubertin was passionate about physical education and deeply believed in the power of sport to promote peace and international understanding. As he himself declared: The Games must be a celebration of universal brotherhood and sporting excellence.

Coubertin's inspiration to revive the Games came from his admiration for ancient Greece and the value the Greeks placed on sport and competition.

He realized that, in the context of Europe's increasing industrialization and urbanization, there was an urgent need to reinvigorate the principles of discipline, fair play and physical effort that the ancient Olympic Games represented.

In 1892, during a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Coubertin first presented his vision for the revival of the Olympic Games as an international competition.

His proposal was received with enthusiasm, and in 1894 he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at a meeting at the same university. The IOC was responsible for organizing the first Games of the modern era, to be held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

The choice of Athens to host the first modern Olympic Games was symbolic, honoring the ancient roots of the Games. On April 6, 1896, King George I of Greece officially declared the Olympic Games open before an audience of more than 60,000 spectators at the Panathinaiko Stadium, a renovated structure dating from the 4th century BC.

The first modern Olympic Games saw the participation of 241 athletes from 14 countries, competing in 43 events in nine different sports, including athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics and wrestling.

Greece, as the host nation, won the most medals, but it was American runner James Connolly who won the first gold medal in the modern era, in the triple jump.

The success of the 1896 Games exceeded Coubertin's expectations and laid a solid foundation for future Games. In his autobiography, Coubertin reflected on this historic moment: Seeing athletes from different nations competing peacefully side by side confirms my conviction that sport can be a powerful force for peace (Coubertin, 1931).

The impact of the first modern Games was profound and lasting. They not only revitalized global interest in sport and international competition, but also promoted the idea that sport could be a means of promoting peace