From Hype to Heart
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Happy Friday Sippers,
How was your week?
I've been completely fixated on Lindsey Vonn's comeback. Watching her return to the slopes at 41 with a partially bionic knee and more grit than a construction site has me reflecting on what it actually means to be a "champion."
In branding, we often spend so much time polishing the win that we forget the most compelling part of the story is the fall.
🏅 The Olympic Pivot: From "The Game" to "The Journey."
While the Super Bowl is about the Moment (the punchline, the high production, the hype, and Benito), the Olympics are about the Momentum.
Here is why brands are flocking to Milano Cortina and why it's hitting differently:
1. Failing is a Feature, Not a Flaw
Super Bowl ads rarely show failure; they show success through consumption. But the best Olympic spots highlight the data behind the struggle. Watch how Google Cloud helped Team USA. They show the micro-adjustments made after a loss. When a brand associates with the "comeback" (like Vonn's), they aren't just buying reach; they are buying Resilience. In the "Synthesis Age," consumers don't want perfection; they want persistence.
2. The Federer "54%" Rule
I've been re-watching Roger Federer's 2024 reflections on longevity (this clip is a must-watch). He drops a truth bomb that every marketer needs to hear: in his legendary career, he won 80% of his matches, but only 54% of the points.
Think about that.
Even the GOAT lost nearly half the time.
He argues that "the best in the world are not the best because they win every point; it's because they know they'll lose again and again and have learned how to deal with it." Brands that win in the Olympics understand this. They aren't just sponsors of a race; they are sponsors of a Timeline. It's the difference between a one-night stand (Super Bowl) and a 10-year marriage (The Olympics).
3. The Gold Medal for Linkage | P&G's "Moms."
If there's a "Gold Medal" for brand linkage, it belongs to P&G's Proud Sponsor of Moms. They didn't make the athlete the hero; they made the support system the hero. It's the ultimate "Synthesis Age" move: linking a bottle of Tide to the quiet, daily Resilience that fuels greatness. They aren't selling detergent; they are selling the grit required to get to the start gate.
Thank you, Mom, the OG
Thank you, Mom, 2012
Thank you, Mom, 2016
Thank you, Mom, 2018
Are you crying yet? (I love you, maman ❣️)
4. Authenticity vs. Opportunism | The "Watch Out."
The biggest risk? "Vibe-washing."
If a brand tries to hijack an athlete's grit without having any skin in the game, the audience smells it instantly. Look at Intact. They've stood behind Speed Skating Canada for 20 years. When they tell an athlete to "Leave Your Mark," it carries weight because they were there for the 5 AM practices and the grassroots sessions long before the cameras arrived. That's a Reason to Believe (RTB) you can't manufacture overnight.
5. The Emotional "Tail"| Air Canada's "Tyler's Walk."
If you haven't seen Air Canada's Tyler's Walk, grab more tissues. Following Tyler McGregor's journey from a life-changing diagnosis to captaining Team Canada is incredible.
When the spot finishes with "Another takes flight," it's a masterclass in landing an emotional plane. Their tagline, "Fly the Flag," is the perfect multi-year bridge, linking the literal brand to national pride. It's about the spirit of the journey, not just the destination.
💡 Why It Matters
In 2026, we've moved past the idea that technology and humanity are at odds.
Instead, the Olympics are showing us that AI is the supercharger, and Resilience is the fuel.
Brands that win are using AI to make the invisible visible, capturing the split-second data of a fall or the recovery arc of a comeback, not to replace the human story, but to amplify it. While AI can analyze a downhill line with surgical precision, it can't manufacture the grit required to get back into the start gate.
Brands that lean into the "Lindsey Vonn energy", the idea that a "down" is just a setup for an "up," are the ones forging the real emotional bonds. They aren't just using technology to show a polished finished product; they're using it to honour the raw, unscripted persistence that makes us human.
☕ The Sip Takeaway | "The Bitter & The Bounce."
In branding, as in life, we often try to swallow the "bitter" moments as quickly as possible. We hide the falls, we edit out the stumbles, and we rush to the podium.
But this week's lesson is about savouring the struggle.
The Sip | Think of the "bitter" as the necessary complexity. Like a dark espresso or a sharp tonic, it's the part that wakes you up. You can't have the high of the "flight" without the weight of the "walk."
The Branding | The "Sip" is your Perspective. It's the ability to look at a 54% win rate or a bionic knee not as a sign of weakness, but as the secret sauce of your story.
The Takeaway: Stop trying to brand the "perfection." Start branding the rebound. The brands that win our hearts in 2026 aren't the ones that never fell; they are the ones that showed us exactly how they got back up.
What I'm Sipping | The grit of the comeback.
What I'm Branding | The "Down" that makes the "Up" possible.
See you next week
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