With Lindsey Vonn Out, Marketers Must Rethink Sochi Ad Strategies
Posted in: Uncategorized
When the heavy hitters from NBC Sports such as Chairman Mark Lazarus and host Bob Costas unveiled their plans for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Tuesday, there was one prominent face missing from their sizzle reel: skier Lindsey Vonn.
On the same morning NBC met the press in New York, Ms. Vonn had announced on “Today” that she’ll be forced to miss Sochi due to a knee injury. So NBC went with a version of the introductory video that focused on other U.S. Olympic stars, such as Julia Mancuso and Shaun White.
Heading into Sochi, Ms. Vonn, who won downhill gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, was going to be the American face of Russia’s first-ever Winter Olympics. With her athletic skill, telegenic good looks, and high profile romance with Tiger Woods, she was the closest thing to guaranteed ratings. In its first ad campaign promoting Sochi, NBC put her front and center along with Mr. White, who won snowboarding gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics.
Post a Comment