Snoop Dogg embodies the magic of the Olympic Games

The summer Olympic Games capture the attention of the world in a way that few, if any, other global events can. The 2024 Games in Paris are no exception.

Every four years, people become interested in sports, teams, and individuals that, for the intervening period, mostly hide under the radar. It’s a complex mix of patriotism, admiration, and—most importantly—storytelling.

People are watching in communal areas at their offices, at watch parties, on their desktop or laptop screens, or having the coverage on in the background while working from home.

We consume vast amounts of coverage about Simone Biles's redemption and the U.S. Women’s gymnastics team, the exploits of swimmers, including Katie Ledecky, and new stars who are blazing a trail, such as the incredible Frenchman Léon Marchand.

We also devour more offbeat stories, such as glasses-wearing U.S. gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, whose serene approach to the pommel horse inspired health observers to raise awareness of his eye conditions, strabismus and coloboma.

Then there’s gymnast-turned-trap-shooter Adriana Ruano Oliva, who became the first Guatemalan to win an Olympic gold medal. And 51-year-old Turkish silver medal-winning air pistol sharpshooter Yusuf Dikeç, whose laid-back demeanour, dressed-down style, and lack of specialist equipment led some to wonder jokingly if he was a Mafia-style assassin who had just wandered into the competition from the crowd.

Of course, there’s a big “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A” element to the sports watching, from the remote viewers back home to the thousands of Americans travelling to Paris to experience the games firsthand. But people also get genuinely interested in the supreme peak performances of athletes from other countries and the pure celebration of excellence. And this is all before what is regarded as the “real Olympics” — the track and field events — start on Friday.

Then there is the spotlight shone on more serious societal topics such as gender in sports, athletes who are afraid of going back to their home countries for fear of persecution, the intense pollution in the River Seine in Paris that led to the triathlon practice sessions being cancelled and the competition delayed, and the usual concern about drug cheats.

One of the Olympics' attractions is that the majority of the athletes are normal individuals who sacrifice years to train to a sufficient level to compete in intense environments where there are no big financial rewards at the end of it. This is a welcome change from the prima donna attitudes often displayed by professional athletes who earn millions of dollars for their efforts.

It’s good to see that when these worlds collide, such as with the iconic U.S. men’s basketball team, superstars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry embrace the team ethic and Olympic spirit and fully immerse themselves in the Games, albeit from the vantage point of luxury hotels rather than the Olympic Village.

One person who is there for all of it is U.S. West Coast rap phenom Snoop Dogg, who has lit up NBC with his appearances at sports as diverse as badminton, equestrianism, fencing, swimming, gymnastics and basketball. Fast becoming the nation’s favourite uncle, Snoop brings his unique energy to every segment and plays the role of everyman exceedingly well, sitting with families as their children compete and sharing their highs and lows.

His inimitable schtick includes carrying the Olympic torch on part of its journey through Paris, hanging out in the swimming pool and testing his “lung power” with Michael Phelps or bigging up "my guy Bob the Cap Catcher," joining the men’s basketball stars as they journey via bus and train from Paris to their competition in Lille, trying out a little fencing with U.S. swordsman Miles Chamley-Watson, his Instagram meme about dressage/verssage and his banter with main Olympic TV anchor Mike Tirico that ends the network’s highlights show most nights.

NBC’s special correspondent brings the fun to the Olympic experience and lives his best life — which we all experience vicariously through him. Of course, cynics will note that Snoop's addition to The Voice judging lineup for season 26 of the NBC show is a good promotion.

In terms of marketing and communications, thousands of operatives are in situ activating on behalf of their brands and clients or working for the various organising bodies and national associations. The leader of the world’s largest PR firm, Richard Edelman, has also been posting on social media from various sporting locations around Paris.

The new Nike ‘If You Don’t Want To Win, You’ve Already Lost’ ad seems to resonate slightly better during the cut and thrust of Olympic competition than it did when it launched 10 days prior to the opening of the games. Activewear brand Athleta teamed up with superstar gymnast Simone Biles for a campaign around making bold choices on big stages, and other brands such as Powerade, Reese’s, Coca-Cola, Nulo, Knix, FIGS, Public Interest Registry and many more are also activating.

The Olympic Games is the greatest show on earth, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for brands to align themselves with a largely positive and fun environment that engages consumers from all around the globe.