The Olympic Games inspire more than just athletes; they inspire everyday people to learn about and try new things. Google, with its Search and Maps AI advancements, offers innovative ways to help people do exactly that. To showcase these personalized benefits to a mass audience, Google partnered with Team USA and NBCUniversal during the Paris Games. With an average U.S. primetime audience of 30.4 million, the stakes were high, and the opportunity to make an impact was even higher.
Partnering with NBCUniversal and Team USA athletes, the integration of Google Search AI into broadcast and their social channels showcased real use cases in a relevant (and tangible) way for skeptical consumers.
For viewers at home curious about the intricacies of the Olympic competitions, the brand showcased how Google Search’s AI Overviews provide clear, organized, and specific results to any question. To drive this capability home, Google partnered with NBCUniversal to create first-of-its-kind product integrations utilizing the media platform’s “Explain the Games” segment; delivering helpful responses to questions including swimming lane assignments, Olympic basketball rules and gymnastics scoring using Google Search’s newest AI feature.
For fans wondering how Search and Maps’ AI features could actually fit into their everyday lives, Google teamed up with five Team USA athletes to help make the most of their day off in Paris. For Rugby superstar, Ilona Maher, Google Search and Maps were the perfect travel companions to plan a pastry tour, translate French menus, and more. Best part? The content came from athletes’ and NBCUniversal’s social channels – making it authentic and seamless for the fans at home. With the influence of Team USA and the innovative capabilities of Google, fans were inspired to explore the places around them.
For superfans who wanted to turn their Olympic inspiration into action, Google brought in the biggest Team USA fan, Leslie Jones. In the “Try it with Gemini” content series, created with NBCUniversal Creative Partnerships, Leslie comedically showcased how with a little help from Google Gemini, you can learn and try anything. These spots played directly after the sport (like Gymnastics or Track and Field) was shown on screen with Leslie turning to Google Gemini for specific-sport inspiration. This culminated in yet another seamless engagement moment for fans, which ultimately encouraged viewers to lean into curiosity.
At the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, Google partnered with Team USA and NBCUniversal to showcase the power and helpfulness of Google’s Search and Maps AI products and features. While most tech companies exclusively pushed AI-focused messaging during commercial breaks, Google chose to show up where people were most engaged: within broadcasts, on social media, and in the hands of athletes, where the power and relevance of Google Search's AI made the biggest impact.
Google stood out with a fully integrated marketing and media approach, with products used by broadcast talent (NBCUniversal integrations), media talent (Leslie Jones) and Team USA athletes—seamlessly tying together the partnership between Google, NBCUniversal and Team USA.
To maximize impact, Google ensured every piece of content and integration appeared across social channels, capturing the attention of younger audiences who may not have been watching the action on the big screen.
Google’s Team USA and NBC activations during the Paris Games garnered 5.7B impressions. The campaign didn't just showcase its Search AI capabilities; it changed the game and resulted in +10% lift in Gemini consideration. Google transformed the way fans engaged with the most prestigious sporting event, with 76% sponsorship recall over other sponsors. The partnership elevated how audiences connected with the Olympic Games and empowered both athletes and fans to reimagine what's possible by showcasing the helpfulness and relevance of Google Search AI on the world stage, and ultimately resulting in people seeing Google’s AI as more helpful.
