If you're anything like me, you're probably having withdrawal symptoms and wondering what to watch now – at least until the Paralympics start. So, let's take a look back at what we’ve seen over the past fortnight.

Writing this is a somewhat full circle moment. A decade ago, I wrote an assignment on the Olympics and sponsorship as an undergrad at Leeds Met University. Now, I’m lucky enough to be working in this industry, and still think there's something captivatingly different about sports marketing.

The way it captures the raw emotions, all the highs and lows that keep us on the edge of our seats. When the world’s best athletes compete, every event is a story, and every brand dreams of creating their own iconic Michael Johnson "golden shoe" moment.

So, what did we see?

This year, it was exciting to see brands like New Balance ON, Asics, and PUMA share the spotlight with the usual heavyweights like adidas and Nike.

New Balance

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a New Balance sponsored athlete, was crowned queen of the 400m hurdles, while breaking her own world record. She also dominated in the 4x400m women’s relay, securing a second gold of the games.

ON

ON Running introduced their new LightSprayTM super-shoe-technology upper technology for their shoes, with the idea being to minimise material waste and provide a more personalised fit to each athlete's foot.

PUMA

PUMA embodied the Olympic spirit on their socials, choosing to celebrate all their athletes, regardless of medal color. While ASICS look to have extended their success beyond the traditional running sports they’re known for, with their athletes taking first place in handball, volleyball and hockey.

adidas

For me, adidas had a standout games. Their ADIZERO/Athlete footwear took a different approach - a muted colour palette and bold 3-stripes kept it simple. Allowing their branding to do the talking, stay prominent and cut through the sea of fluorescent shoes on the streets and the track.

They also had some of their athletes wearing Y-3 (adidas' fashion-forward luxury label fronted by Japanese designer, Yohji Yamamoto) branded performance footwear, a perfect nod to how running culture has become intertwined with streetwear.

Their social media team did a stellar job following up with great imagery and copy featuring their winning athletes too.

Nike

These games were definitely a page out of the old Nike playbook. Looking to emulate the success of their guerilla marketing at London 2012, during the ‘Paris 2024 Mass Participation Marathon’ they showed up and showed out. Bringing flags, flares and an army of runners fully kitted out in their latest product, led by the likes of Sir Mo Farah and Colin Kaepernick.

Their "Winning isn’t for everyone" campaign has also delivered some great copywriting:

"If you’re not with us, you’re behind us." after Sha'Carri Richardson and the US women’s 4x100 relay team took first place.

And "Beat the best, even if the best is you." as Faith Kipyegon made history by becoming the first athlete ever to win three consecutive gold medals in the 1500m women’s race—while also setting a new Olympic record.

Which brand won?

With no official medal table for brands at the Games, only time will tell who the real winners were from these incredible two weeks of promotion. The real test will be who can keep the momentum alive as the summer of sport fades and the new seasons start.