Facebook Targets Advertisers With New Tokyo 2020 Campaign

Facebook has launched a new campaign promoting its sporting credentials to advertisers in the lead-up to next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The social media company’s Asia-Pacific arm debuted a new video, enlisting acclaimed director Jack Weatherley, who has directed ads for Nike and UEFA, as part of the ‘Give Your Game Everything’ campaign, which launched exactly a year ahead of the start of Tokyo 2020.

The campaign is designed to attract advertisers to Facebook in the lead-up to and during the Games, which get underway on 24th July 2020.

The 40-second video is set to be distributed across Facebook’s advertising platforms and the campaign will also seek to help brands engage young audiences in the Games.

The video features athletes training for competition and targets brands by featuring the message, ‘To win in 2020, preparation is everything. We have everything you need to prepare.’

Research by Facebook IQ and YouGov has found that sports fans consume their content through various apps during the Olympics and the campaign will look to tap into changing viewing habits.

“Games used to live on television. But by 2020, there will be three billion smartphone users and Asia-Pacific will account for more than half of them,” said Facebook IQ’s Marketing Insights Manager for Asia-Pacific, Sandra Marichal.

“Today, people watch TV and are on the mobile at the same time. Another behaviour we have noticed is people watch TV on mobile, switch and share between apps. With this campaign, we want to focus on cross-platform and cross-media behaviour since brands need to be prepared.

“You need to be everywhere every time which is very complex. We want to alleviate this complexity.”

Facebook has also launched a new microsite for prospective advertisers. The site will feature articles on how brands can use Facebook and other apps owned by the company to promote themselves around the Olympics.