The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2021
Samsung gives Australian Olympians personalised performance-enhancing tracks for Tokyo
No crowds to lift Tokyo athletes, so Samsung made bespoke, scientifically tuned tracks — matched to event, taste and mindset, with audio triggers layered in.
Samsung
What it had to solve
Samsung sponsored the Australian Olympic Team, but with no crowds at the Tokyo Olympics there was no wall of noise to lift athletes before they competed. The brand wanted to actually support them rather than just claim sponsorship.
How it works
Samsung was a sponsor of the Australian Olympic Team at the Tokyo Olympics, where empty venues meant there were no crowds to motivate the athletes. Instead of running another sponsorship ad, the brand looked for a way to support competitors where it would actually be felt.
Working with Olympians, Samsung created personalised tracks that were described as scientifically proven to enhance performance. Each one was matched to the athlete's event, tastes and desired mindset, then overlaid with audio triggers including isochronic tones, mantras and cadence.
The athletes used their own tracks to prepare and compete in Tokyo, so the sponsor's presence arrived inside their preparation routine rather than on a billboard outside the stadium.
The project was shortlisted at the 2022 D&AD Awards and picked up further honours across the 2022 awards season, including One Show recognition and a Cannes Lions shortlisting, as an example of giving a sponsor's audience a functional tool instead of a message.
Why it lands
- It gave athletes a functional benefit — a tool tuned to their own event — rather than a sponsorship message.
- Personalisation made the science relevant: event, taste and desired mindset shaped every track.
- Audio triggers gave the music a measurable performance purpose beyond mood.
- It entered the athletes' preparation routine, so the brand was present at the decisive moment.
What it did
The Olympians used their tracks to prepare and compete in Tokyo, turning sponsorship into something athletes wore in their ears — and the work became a shortlisted entry at the 2022 D&AD Awards with further recognition across the 2022 awards season.
What you can take
Sponsorship value can be delivered as a personalised tool instead of exposure: when the asset is a track tuned to one athlete's event and mindset, the brand does something no logo could.
Since then
The campaign became one of Australia's shortlisted entries at the 2022 D&AD Awards and collected further industry recognition through 2022, including One Show honours and Cannes Lions shortlisting, while its audio partners cited it as a landmark of purpose-driven brand sound.
Sources
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