Sport sceptics might scoff but Paris Olympics and Euro 2024 really can lift our gloom
If you’re happy to see the back of 2023 you’re not alone. Across Europe many will be feeling battered by the cost of living crisis, emotionally fatigued by escalating war, and overwhelmed by the ever-looming threat of the climate crisis.
Optimism bias means it’s easy to look at a new year with false expectations; hoping — rather than knowing — that things will get better.
After Boris Johnson’s declaration that 2020 would be a “fantastic year for Britain”, one perhaps should be doubly cautious about predicting a shifting of the winds, but there are reasons to be cheerful going into 2024. As another political party once proclaimed, things can only get better.
One reason to believe this is that sport makes a big return in 2024 after an uncharacteristically quiet 2023.
Although the 2023 Women’s World Cup was a huge success, its staging on the other side of the world kept it somewhat at arms length. Similarly, the 2023 Rugby and Cricket World Cups arguably failed to capture the national highs of 2019.
This summer, we will see the men’s UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany followed swiftly by the Paris Olympics. This will create a summer of sport in Europe that we haven’t witnessed since before the pandemic.
Sporting sceptics might scoff at the idea that a couple of competitions could ever seriously help with the monumental problems we face, but those that do underestimate the impact these moments can have on the health of our society.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Hollywood saw a sharp rise in the number of comedies it was producing. People went to the cinema to escape the troubles of the day and find moments of elation and entertainment together.
This is also why we love major sporting events. They can help us momentarily forget our day-to-day problems. It’s why the Romans built the colosseum almost two thousand years ago, and it’s why we still sit down together to watch sport today.
Unlike cinema, however, sport has power beyond just escapism. Sport has the ability to change a national mood.
In 2018, when warring Brexit factions threatened to tear England apart, it was the national football team that brought us back together with their surprise run to the semi-finals.
Similarly, Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win lifted a country that was on its knees post-pandemic and battling hyperinflation.
If Euro 2024 has the ability to lift the mood, then the Olympics has the ability to inspire hope. The Paris 2024 Games are supposed to be the greenest yet. They will be a unique opportunity to land a positive climate message, far more powerful than annual COP conferences that get hung up on the wording of joint statements.
The Paris Olympics can capture global attention unlike almost anything else, with more than 3bn people expected to tune in. They can also show us what humanity is capable of in the face of adversity. There will be stories of incredible human skill, endeavour and character. That is what we need to see if we are to believe we can make change as individuals and as a collective.
Many climate activists argue that we need hope, not just doom, when it comes to talking about climate change and these Games will be a unique opportunity to transmit it.
This is important for businesses to understand, too. Recently there has been a lot of talk about brands reflecting the realities of our lives, the theory being that the most successful companies will be those that can truly understand the challenges their consumers face and mirror them back at them.
Whilst for many brands this is undeniably effective, and has led to some great creative work in 2023, it is also true that people need escapism and hope.
If your brand is looking to take advantage of this summer of sport, your focus should be to add to the celebratory atmosphere.
This is not the same as saying ignore the problems the world faces; sport can be used to inspire and it can be used to create real tangible change too. But a message that is built on hope will be far more effective at capturing the national mood at that time, and can make a similarly powerful connection with consumers.
Whenever you make a positive prediction on the future, you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Those who predicted the roaring 20s post-pandemic failed to foresee the crippling effects of inflation and war.
But 2024 could well be the turning point that sees this decade start to bring more joy to more people. If it is, then this summer of sport is likely to be the catalyst. It is a major moment for Europe and for businesses, and has the power to lift us all.
Matt Readman is chief strategy officer at agency Dark Horses.