London 2012 was billed to ‘Inspire A Generation’ and it seems to have successfully delivered on this promise with genuine Millennial appeal at a time when sport doesn’t often feature in the list of top leisure activities for youth in the digital age.

Sticky sent its Millennial bloggers to various events and experiences surrounding London 2012 to see how young people could engage with the Olympics, beyond sporting events.

Reports are both enlightening and at times heart-warming, while exposure from brands went far beyond the names of the official sponsors.

Engaging those who weren’t so sure

It’s true to say many people in the UK were quite pessimistic in the run up to the Olympics, mainly due to bad press around government spending and expected travel chaos. London 2012 seems to have ‘converted’ many people including Natasha (27) who spent a day in Hyde Park and found the feel-good vibe infectious. She reported that “the whole experience engaged young people like no one expected it to”.

Freya (17) attended Victoria Park which brought people together and encouraged participation in fun ways. She reports feeling immensely proud and “part of something much bigger than just viewing some sports events on TV”.

Clearly, giving people real experiences to interact with and participate in drives true engagement and has a lasting impact. If ever there was an argument for investment in experiential marketing, this is it.

A unique cultural experience

The Olympics also gave people a chance to experience cultures from around the world via ‘Olympic Houses’. Bloggers visited Africa Village, Holland Heineken House, Switzerland’s Red Zone and Casa Brazil, among others. Their experiences were truly unique, being able to discover the wonders of countries they wouldn’t normally be interested in or consider. It was a learning experience, as well as a fun way to engage with another side of the Olympics. Joshua (25) reports from Africa Village that “such experiences become memories and these memories translate into stories to be passed on like relay batons”.

Brands offering a little bit of exclusivity go a long way

The events surrounding London 2012 provided unique opportunities for brands to engage people through real experiences and allowed genuine connection through intimate activations. Samsung, Cadbury’s and The Sun newspaper encouraged people to connect with the brand in Hyde Park by allowing consumers unique access to their products within installations that represented the brand personality.

Our blogger James (23) was able to watch a band performing on stage from the promotional BT Tower in the park as he was an existing BT customer and reported “I found myself coming home simply satisfied that I’d chosen to go with BT broadband for those precious few minutes of exclusivity”

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Check out the Millennial Olympic stats below:

20 = % of people aged 12-24 who watched the opening ceremony in the UK (+16% on total TV delivery of this demo)

78 = % of athletes competing at London 2012 who were Millennials (aged under 30yrs)

26 = Average age of the London 2012 Olympic athletes

13 = Age of the youngest athlete at London 2012 : Adzo Kpossi of Tonga

2,000 = 16-18yr olds who volunteered through the Young Games Maker programme

50 = % of the Olympic torch bearers who were aged between 12-24