The brands you'll see at the 2024 Olympics

Sports and fashion have always been an item.

Dennis Rodman become a gender-bending cultural icon. Serena Williams won the fashion game in tennis. Honestly, the intersection of sports and fashion is something I live for, on and off the court, track and field.

More and more, we’re seeing fashion brands leverage the hype of major sporting events. And the arrival the 2024 Olympics is no exception. We're already seeing labels clamouring to get their minute in the Parisian sun.

So how did the worlds of sports and fashion become so intertwined?

Sportswear was once only focused on utility. But the 1980s marked a significant shift in this sense, particularly with the iconic Nike and Michael Jordan collaboration.

Launched in 1984, this collab revolutionised both basketball and sneaker culture. And the shoes are still running rampant in the trend cycle today.  Adidas and Run-DMC further solidified the fusion with their collaboration around that time.

The success of these two partnerships demonstrated the potential of sportswear as a fashion statement and collectable item. This extended its appeal outside of the game.

Today, major sporting events act as a muse for designers.

And during the Olympics, the biggest brands in the world compete to present their most innovative pieces.

So who’s doing what as we head into the 2024 Games?

Nike

Nike's president of consumer, product and brand Heidi O’Neill says these Olympics will see their largest media spend in years. The brand aims to revive flagging sales, as they struggle to compete with new and up-and-coming sports brands. (Nike has lost 25% of its stock market value over the past five months.)

Putting their collection at the forefront of one of the biggest sporting events in the world is a pretty good bet, I’d say. Their Olympic collection includes a Nike SB Shoe and a Blue Print Pack that includes 13 items. The brand also designed the Team USA women’s track and field kit.

LMVH

Premium partner of the 2024 Olympic Games, LVMH is a French multinational holding and conglomerate. The group manages luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Loewe and Sephora. So they’re boujee as HELL, and they’ve taken over the games this year.

One of the group’s jewellers, Chaumet, is designing the medals for the Olympics and Paralympics. One of its fashion brands, Berluti, is creating the uniforms French athletes will wear during a lavish opening ceremony on the Seine. And Louis Vuitton leather goods will ferry prizes such as the World Cup and the NBA Finals trophy.

Vogue

To mark the beginning of haute couture week, Anna Wintour's ‘Vogue World’ will showcase fashion content of French designers, current and past, as well as houses that historically present their collections in Paris. Scheduled for June 23, the content will be centred around the Olympic Games. When I tell you I am HYPED. Girl…

The Olympic Games are always a showcase of athletic potential and fashion excellence.

They’re an opportunity for us to witness a distinctive fusion of innovative sportswear, national pride, and global trends. The partnerships between Olympic athletes and apparel brands are some of the hottest and most coveted deals in sports marketing. After all, they provide unparalleled brand visibility.

We lowly marketers may not have the ability to put our brands on the Olympic Games stage.

But there are things we can learn from this intersection:

• Leverage major events for exposure. If you’re able to plan your product launches around large-scale events, you’ll do wonders for your brand's visibility.

• The power of collaboration. Nike's partnership with Jordan became a heritage partnership for the brand. So think about what collaborations could create an impactful narrative for your brand.

• Mix and mingle. Who said you have to stay in your lane!? If the fusion of the sporting and fashion worlds can teach us anything, it’s that we can integrate campaigns across different industries with major success. This creates a multi-faceted campaign that appeals to a broader range of consumers. You never know--you might just end up making history. 

-Sophie, Copywriter