LVMH's mega takeover of the Olympic Games continues

100 years after the last Paris edition of the Olympic Games, Paris will once again host the world’s most renowned sporting event from July 26 to August 11. An opportunity that the French group LVMH (one of the few top-tier sponsors of the event), the leader in the luxury industry, has grasped with both hands. Indeed, the group founded in 1987, which today comprises more than 70 houses (including Louis Vuitton, one of the founding houses of the group, Dior, Fendi, and Celine), present in five luxury sectors, has been collaborating closely with Paris 2024 since the event was announced. After the outfits for the French athletes for the opening ceremony signed by Berluti, the trunks dedicated to the medals and the torch by Louis Vuitton, and the gold, silver, and bronze medals imagined by Maison Chaumet, the group strikes again. The luxury giant announced yesterday that it will provide the 515 volunteers who will present the medals to the winners with eco-friendly outfits. But that’s not all, the trays on which the medals will be presented at each winner’s ceremony will also be signed by Louis Vuitton, decorated with the brand’s signature checkered pattern, which needs no introduction.

Entirely Made in France, designed and crafted in the Maine-et-Loire atelier by the brand’s expert artisans, the trays have been designed to meet the requirements of the task perfectly. Indeed, they have been made to be as light as possible, able to hold between 2 to 6 medals (created, as mentioned earlier, by the jeweler Chaumet, also a member of the group) and will be covered in matte leather, matching the interior of the trunks containing the torch and medals. The outfits reserved for the volunteers, on the other hand, will also be designed to express the group’s French spirit, following a very “oui oui baguette” art direction, a nod to the 1920s and the first time Paris hosted the games, in 1924. Also entirely made in France and from 100% eco-designed materials, the outfit will include a polo made in the Vosges, a gavroche (both in jersey made from fabric scraps from the Group's Maisons), and pants produced by the NOMADE factory, made of recycled polyester.

The group once again demonstrates intelligence and finesse in its marketing. Despite the fact that no logos or brands are allowed in the Olympic stadium, it ensures that no fewer than 4 billion pairs of eyes will be on the luxury giant’s products at each of the 850 Olympic and Paralympic medal ceremonies. Moreover, the group has thought of 1001 ways to be omnipresent during the games, even outside of the competition. An LVMH pavilion will welcome partners and clients, presenting the “Olympic and Paralympic achievements” of the Maisons. The “Cheval Blanc” hotel, also owned by the group, will be reserved for LVMH guests on the day of the opening ceremony. Rumors are also circulating about the presence of Dior at the opening ceremony. Although this intense sponsorship has a cost, it is certain that this omnipresence will have positive repercussions on the group’s sales. Between now and August 11, it's not impossible that the Prenium partner will continue to surprise us with more and more original collaborations, and take an ever-greater role in the global event.