It’s great for an athlete to perform well in the Olympics. But it’s the sponsorships that come before and after the competition that propel team members to fame. Who’s still performing after the races are over? Who’s making an appearance during commercial breaks? These are the athletes that stick in our minds, at least in America.
Ryan Lochte has become one such athlete, first in a spot for Gillette and now, in AT&T’s “brand/anthem spot” from BBDO New York. The 30-second commercial shows Lochte swimming the Atlantic through stingrays, storms, and sunsets, finally arriving in London. “Luck didn’t get me to London,” Lochte says. “I swam here.”
I wonder who will get more attention as we draw closer to the Olympics, Lochte or Michael Phelps? My bet is on Lochte, with his boyish good looks and bizarre penchant for “steeze.” He’s already grabbed the cover of Vogue and is partnering with some big Olympic sponsors. Look to AgencySpy to keep tabs on both Lochte and Phelps as the Olympic ad-race continues.