Google: Nike Tops Recall Among Olympic Ads

Nike’s Unlimited commercials drew the most recall of the ads that aired during the Olympics, according to Google.

Based on a combination of consumer surveys and second screen response data, Google figures the Nike ads were remembered when prompted by almost 35% of respondents.

Coca-Cola came in second with its “That’s Gold” campaign. Time, McDonald’s and Samsung filled out the top five.

The less-good news was that when viewers recalled an ad, only 37% could remember the specific product or service in the ad. Google says the net is that only 13% of viewers recalled both the brand and the product from a specific ad.

The highest product recall rate came in an ad for Procter & Gamble’s Tide detergent featuring gold-medal winning gymnast Simone Biles and the tagline "Small Can Be Powerful."

Advertisers hope that being a part of the Olympics will give their brands a halo, and on average respondents who saw spots were 27% more positive about the brands than those who did not. Those who saw the ads were also 32% more likely to find out more or purchase the product.

The ads also drove viewers to search for more info about brands and visit their websites. During the broadcasts, nearly all of the searches were on mobile devices.

The ads that propelled the most response were from BMW, Coca-Cola and McDonald's.

Google said that emotional ads were effective.

More info can be found in a blog post by Google.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.