The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has reached a significant milestone in its global branding efforts after claiming its first-ever Cannes Lions award for a campaign that blended sport, culture and digital storytelling.
Its Olympic Rings Pasta initiative, launched in the build-up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, received a Silver Lion in the Social & Creator category at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. The recognition highlights the IOC’s growing emphasis on engaging audiences beyond traditional sporting events through innovative campaigns.
Rather than promoting the Games through conventional advertising alone, the Olympic Rings Pasta project celebrated Italy’s culinary heritage while creating an emotional connection with fans across the world. The campaign transformed an everyday food into a symbol of Olympic unity, encouraging conversations that extended well beyond competition venues.
The award represents more than creative success. It signals the IOC’s commitment to reshaping how the Olympic brand connects with younger generations by embracing social media, creators, athletes and cultural experiences as powerful storytelling tools.
Campaign Redefined Olympic Promotion
The initiative was introduced in October 2025 to mark the 100-day countdown to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Inspired by Italy’s internationally recognised food culture, the campaign featured pasta shaped around the iconic Olympic rings and packaged in four collector’s edition boxes.
Each box was illustrated by Italian artist Marianna Tomaselli, whose artwork combined winter sporting disciplines with Italy’s breathtaking scenery.
The packaging celebrated the country’s hospitality, craftsmanship and passion while reinforcing the Olympic values of friendship and unity.
The campaign extended far beyond retail shelves. Athletes, broadcasters, media personalities, digital creators and Olympic fans all played a role in amplifying its reach, producing content that generated widespread online engagement before and throughout the Games.
Olympic Village Sparked Global Buzz
Interest in the campaign intensified during the Winter Games when Olympic Rings Pasta became part of the dining experience inside the Olympic Village. Thousands of athletes sampled the pasta in village restaurants, with many sharing their experiences across social media platforms.
The initiative helped strengthen the growing culture surrounding food in the Olympic Village, where meals have increasingly become moments of interaction and cultural exchange among athletes from around the world.
According to the IOC, more than 36,000 pasta dishes were served during the campaign. It also generated over 380 million social engagements and attracted approximately 400 media stories globally, demonstrating how lifestyle-focused campaigns can expand the Olympic Movement’s reach beyond sport.
Coventry Sees Blueprint for the Future
IOC President Kirsty Coventry described the campaign as evidence that the organisation’s evolving communication strategy is delivering meaningful results. “Olympic Rings Pasta was truly a unique, insightful, fun idea to drive awareness of the Olympic Winter Games in Italy,” Coventry said.
She added that it helped “connect with fans beyond sport, and engage younger audiences where they are.”
Reflecting on the wider impact, Coventry noted that the campaign’s success demonstrates the IOC is “on the right track when it comes to evolving our brand and engagement strategies to be fit for the future.”
She also praised the team behind the initiative, saying she was “incredibly proud” of everyone who brought the concept to life and expressed excitement about future projects that continue to modernise the Olympic brand.
Created in partnership with LePub, part of Publicis Groupe, Olympic Rings Pasta has become one of the IOC’s most successful promotional initiatives in recent years.
Its success illustrates how cultural storytelling, creative design and digital engagement can strengthen the appeal of the Olympic Games, particularly among younger audiences whose connection with sport increasingly begins on social media rather than through traditional broadcasting.
The Silver Lion recognition not only celebrates a single campaign but also underlines a broader shift in Olympic marketing, where creativity and cultural relevance are becoming as important as competition in keeping the Games connected with audiences around the world.
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