The 2024 Summer Olympics are set to kick off on July 26th in Paris, marking the first time in 100 years that the games will be taking place in the French capital. On the less exciting end of the Olympic milestone spectrum, this will be the second Summer Games in a row where alcohol won’t be available for sale or purchase at stadium venues, following 2021’s events in Tokyo. (Due to the pandemic, fans weren’t in attendance, so the lack of booze wasn’t much of a letdown.) That said, the events won’t be entirely dry: in accordance with France’s 1991 Evin’s Law, exceptions will be posed for catered hospitality areas and VIP suites.
Given these circumstances, many booze brands are taking a slightly different approach to their advertising tactics at this year’s games, with many opting to showcase their newest NA offerings to a global audience. Some familiar faces from the soda and energy drink spaces are joining in, too. And it’s all likely money well-spent: in terms of sponsorships, partnerships, and advertising, few events capture an audience as massive as the Olympics, or offer a chance to pitch to so many international markets at once.
For the 411 on which drinks brands you can expect to see and hear about in between javelin throws, tumbling passes, and the like, check out our round-up below.
Corona
After news broke late last year that Asahi would be pulling its Pilsner Urquell sponsorship from the 2024 games, AB InBev is filling the void with Corona Cero: the NA version of the beloved Mexican lager. Corona Cero will also serve as the International Olympic Committee’s global beer sponsor in 2026 and 2028. This is not only a big deal for the Olympics, but one for the beer industry as well, as the AB InBev partnership marks the very first global beer brand sponsorship in the International Olympic Committee sponsorship program’s 40-year history.
Michelob Ultra
AB InBev won’t be putting all its brews in one basket. The corporation is also putting forth Michelob Ultra as the official beer sponsor of Team USA for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as those in 2026 and 2028. The news arrives a year after Michelob Ultra became the NBA’s first-ever global beer partner.
Tourtel Twist
Under parent company Carlsberg, France’s Kronenbourg launched the lemon-flavored NA beer Tourtel Twist in 2015, and it quickly became the most popular NA product in its home territory. In addition to being an official supplier of the Tour De France as of 2022, the brand announced last summer that it will enter a partnership with the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
Fieldwork Brewing Co.
Cash-wise, this partnership ranks on a much smaller scale than the aforementioned brands, but it’s making a show in Paris nonetheless. Two years ago, California’s Fieldwork Brewing Co. announced a partnership deal with American Olympic swimmer and California native Abbey Weitzeil, and the duo even collaborated on an American lager in April 2023. The 2024 Paris Olympics will be Weitzeil’s third time participating in the games after securing four Olympic medals in previous years.
Moët Champagne and Hennessy Cognac
LVMH’s influence will be felt at this year’s Olympics: One of the holding company’s jewelers, Chaumet, is designing all the medals for both the Olympics and Paralympics while fashion brand Berluti will provide stylish uniforms for French athletes to sport at the opening ceremony. On the booze front, the conglomerate’s Moët Champagne and Hennessy Cognac will sponsor the games. Since alcohol sales are prohibited in stadiums this year, pours of Moët and Henny will be confined to VIP suites and various hospitality experiences hosted throughout the duration of the games. LVMH is allegedly spending roughly $162 million in sponsorship bucks for this year’s Olympics, making it the biggest French sponsor of the whole shebang.
Nyetimber
English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber will also be bringing some bubbly to the Seine. The brand is partnering with Team GB (the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team) and launching a limited-edition, multi-vintage version of its classic cuvée made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes to honor the athletes. Bottles will be gifted to all Team GB Olympians after the games, and supplied at all Team GB-related hospitality events throughout the games. The bottle is also available now on the winery’s website.
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Lindsey Horan is embarking on her third Olympic journey this summer with support from California’s Francis Ford Coppola Winery. An early player in the celebrity wine game, the winery recently partnered with Horan, making her the face of its Diamond Collection’s “It Takes Time to Make a Diamond” ad campaign.
Horan is the first person other than the winery’s namesake filmmaker-founder to be featured in the campaign since its 2023 premiere. “Achieving anything at the highest level — whether in film or on the field — requires sacrifice, perseverance and believing in your own vision, regardless of obstacles and what doubters may say along the way,” Horan said in a press release. “Both my story and that of the Coppola Diamond Collection are about commitment to excellence, refining the craft, and the art of turning setbacks into something truly exceptional through perseverance.”
Celsius
Sponsoring the Olympics as a whole can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, so many brands (like Fieldwork Brewing Co. and Francis Ford Coppola Winery) are opting to partner with select athletes. Another company that’s hopping on that train is energy drink brand Celsius.
“Obviously, there’s a much larger barrier to entry to even get into that [official partner] space,” Celsius CMO Kyle Watson told Marketing Brew. “If you’re really thinking about how to more authentically tie your brand into this space, it is through these athletes, because that’s what the entire thing is all about. We’re not looking to get our logo plastered all over things.”
After partnering with snowboarder and three-time gold medalist Shaun White for his last Olympics in 2022, Celsius is teaming up with five American athletes for this year’s games. The lineup includes track and field competitors Noah Lyles, Tara Davis-Woodhall, and Hunter Woodhall as well as gymnasts Fred Richard and Konnor McClain.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is continuing its long-time role as an official worldwide Olympic partner. The company’s relationship with the games actually dates all the way back to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, when Coca-Cola brought its ice-cold beverages overseas to refresh athletes, officials, and spectators. This year, Coca-Cola is sponsoring the Olympic Torch Relay — which it has been doing for over two decades — as well as a handful of athletes from across the globe.
The article The Drinks Brands You Can Expect to See at the 2024 Olympics appeared first on VinePair.