It’s no surprise that the digital media presence of the World Games skyrocketed in 2012, but the use of print media was also highly prevalent. I found it interesting how print companies were obligated not to release any information pertaining to services rendered, but PrintWeek was able to offer some insight by investigating the sponsors. Here are some huge ways that print media impacted the 2012 London Olympics.

McDonalds UK indicated that print media was key in serving the expected hundreds of thousands of customers that would be visiting stores and seeing in-store displays and materials. McDonalds UK also launched a huge advertising campaign ‘We All Make The Games’ which utilized outdoor advertising, press ads and in-store displays.

British Airways boasts “Print plays an important part of the marketing mix when it comes to the Olympics. We have just undertaken our recent Advertising campaign for ‘Home Advantage’ which you will see has been placed in print publications from The Times to Metro. It is important for us to engage with all communication channels though – so we include digital, outdoor and social media in our mix.”

Annabel Pritchard, London 2012 sponsorship director at Deloitte: “Print is one of several channels we have used for our London 2012 sponsorship activation. With the range of audiences we are seeking to reach including our clients, prospective recruits and our own people, it is about getting the mix of channels right, rather than any single format dominating. Print has been a key part of this, not least in our partnership with the Daily Telegraph, which has featured a combination of advertising and advertorials about the work we have delivered to help organise the Games.”

CBS Outdoor reminded us that print media plays an important role nationwide (London) as their inventory includes the Underground, buses, the National Rail. While there has been a significant growth and investment in digital advertising, the medium is still complimentary to traditional formats. Despite having the largest digital advertising network in Central London, CBS Outdoor does not underestimate the power of printed posters, which continue to be highly regarded, cost-effective and used by advertisers as part of their multimedia strategy. As we all know, high-impact iconic posters have been known to make brands famous.”