Does it pay to be an Olympic Sponsor?

Is being an Olympic Sponsor worth it?  Ace Metrix, the only company scoring every nationally airing US Olympic ad leading up to and during the games, would say it is.

Says Peter Daboll, CEO of Ace Metrix - (quote in Brand Channel)

“The Olympics are a significant investment for any sponsor, and understanding the effectiveness of that sponsorship is critical in the era of marketing accountability," he added. "We are particularly interested in the data regarding the vital emotional elements associated with the Olympics. Understanding how the emotion of such a global event relates to the rational consumer processing that accompanies the vast majority of advertising will be fascinating."

Here is the Ace Metrix "Top 10" Ranked by score:

1.  Proctor and Gamble - Best Job in the World

2. Sega - Mario and Sonic

3.  Coca-Cola - "Rebuild"

4.  TD Ameritrade - Jonathan Horton

5.  Coke - Olympic Games Memories - Shawn Johnson

6.  P&G Best Job - 30' cut-down

7.  Visa - The difference

10.  P&G Bounty - Spills

Here's a synopsis of Ace Metrix headline findings:

• Being an official sponsor matters. Olympic Sponsor ads are more effective than those advertisers who have Olympic athletes but are not actually sponsors (sometimes called “borrowed equity”). 

• While many ads were produced months ago, weaving in ‘as it happens’ performances by the athletes amplifies a lasting impression.

• Olympic sponsor P&G has the highest scoring ads to date mainly generated from the "Best Job" film at the center of its London 2012 “Thank You Mom” campaign, landing in the top 3% of all ads Ace Metrix surveyed for its ability to emotionally move its audience. 

• Sega is leading the non-sponsor list with two high-scoring ads promoting their London 2012 video games.

• TD Ameritrade is a surprise contender with a sponsorship ad featuring Olympian Jonathan Horton that scored 27% above the Financial category norm. 

• Visa’s 100% emotional appeal is powerful, delivering scores that are 50 to 70% higher than the average ad and among the top of the Olympics ads measured to date.