9 Olympic-Themed Ads that Deserve a Gold Medal

by Andrea Ebdane, Joaquin Mercado, and Rachel Ogsimer

Art by Lia Javier

From champion weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz to trending skateboarder Margielyn Didal – the Philippine 2020 Olympics’ Team has definitely made history. Our athletes are walking out of the stadium with a gold, two silvers, and one bronze – the country’s biggest medal haul since 1924 – and we as a nation couldn’t be more proud.

And as Filipinos online celebrated our athletes’ winning moments, different brands joined in on the fun with their creative trendjacking posts. With this, here are 9 Olympic-themed ads we think deserve a gold medal!

Talk about effortlessly witty. I stood up clapping for our athletes AND these ads.

You have received a creative ad’s worth of GCash for CARLO PAALAM w/ MSG: Congrats on the win, Paalam, and nice work on the video, GCash. Your new balance is PHP 10/10.

Cars aren't the only ones that can give us a lift. Just like how Hidilyn Diaz didn’t just lift weights at the Olympics — she also raised our spirits sky-high! Toyota Philippines' winning take on a common expression is both casual and clever; makes us wanna go on a victory drive, maybe?

As far as golden opportunities go, Puregold took the full 24 karats. This ad made good use of Puregold’s name, but it’s also a good reminder of Hidilyn Diaz’s solid performance.

What’s not to love about mini boxing glove pencil erasers? This ad sure knew how to deliver a winning punch! We have to commend National Bookstore for their creative take on Nesthy Petecio's epic victory.

These puns took “Congratulations” to the next level, celebrating our athletes with top-notch word play.

Nestea didn’t just use their name to their advantage - they also used their cleverly-arranged glasses of iced tea. It’s definitely a refreshing way to cheer on Nesthy Petecio and root for her sweet, sweet victory.

Carlo Paalam can deliver award-winning punches, and National Book Store can deliver crowd-pleasing punchlines. Some punches do look good on paper.

This ad from Starbucks Philippines is a masterclass on minimalism. It's simple, but classy at the same time. If minimalism was an Olympic sport, we're certain this would be a tough contender.

These Olympic-themed advertisements don’t just have us laughing; some even have us crying with their inspirational takes on our athletes’ victories.

We’ve got nothing but love and pride for our homegrown Kim Bok-joo! Netflix Philippines’ subtle yet witty nod to Hidilyn Diaz’s historic win has us feeling hopeful for the dreams we dare to believe in.

SMART Communications’ greeting for Carlo Paalam certainly left us teary-eyed with the boxer’s moving story that started with scrap metal and ended with the silver medal.

The Philippines’ run in the 2020 Olympics has been nothing but inspiring – and these trending posts just show how happy we are for our athletes. Thank you, Team Philippines! You made us proud!

Did we miss any witty advertisements? Let us know and tag @OfficialUPJMA!

Cover Photos ©Tokyo2020