Alibaba Group has launched its first global advertising campaign for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in South Korea.
The campaign titled ‘To the Greatness of Small’ features three commercials that illustrate how one small action can touch millions of people, how small moments of character can inspire the world and how the underdog can achieve great things.
The cornerstone ‘manifesto’ commercial, is an ode to the power of small, showing that every action, regardless of size, has the ability to make a great difference. The spot features a pint-sized hockey player flattening a much-larger one and a tiny woman boxer whose fearsome punching prowess will have even Ronda Rousey quaking in her boots.
The “To the greatness of small” manifesto ad will air in China on television and also feature online and outdoor,while in Korea the campaign will feature outdoor, and online in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom. It is accompanied by two athlete-inspired spots. Tung said the company looked at hundreds of sports- and Olympic themed stories that underscore the company’s beliefs and mission.
Commenting on the campaign, Chris Tung, Chief Marketing Officer Alibaba Group said, “Since our founding 19 years ago, Alibaba Group has believed in and embraced the greatness of small in everything we do. Through this campaign we can share the story of what Alibaba has stood for from day one, which is to support the small guy and leverage our technology to help the underdog succeed in the global marketplace. We believe that technology can level the playing field, and that even small companies have the opportunity to be global companies.”
The first features an ice hockey team from Kenya with grand aspirations to one day qualify for the Olympic Winter Games. The ad opens with a young Kenyan boy who has never played hockey – or even seen ice, for that matter – telling a sceptical elder he’s going to be an ice hockey player.
To help bring the amateur ice hockey team one step closer to their Olympic dream, Alibaba will bring five members of the team to the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018 to experience the Games first-hand. Additionally, Alibaba will support the team with equipment and access to training facilities.
The last commercial features the story of Australian sculler Henry Pearce. During the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games Amsterdam 1928, he displayed a small act of kindness, pausing mid-race to let a mother duck and her ducklings pass without losing a feather. Oars back in the water, Pearce caught and passed his French opponent. Pearce not only won hearts of the crowd for his act of courage, but went on to win a gold medal and to set a new world record in the 2,000-meter event that would stand for 45 years. Onscreen: “We believe small acts lead to greatness. To the greatness of small.”
In January 2017, Alibaba Group and the International Olympic Committee jointly announced a long-term, strategic partnership. Alibaba was the first partner to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028. As part of The Olympic Partners worldwide partnership program, Hangzhou-headquartered Alibaba Group became the official “Cloud Services” and “E-Commerce Platform Services” Partner for the Games.
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