How Walmart Scored Olympics Win With Emotional Branding

Walmart’s 2026 Winter Olympics campaign, "Here’s to Starting," marks a significant strategic pivot from the brand’s humor-driven "Who Knew?" campaign. By shifting focus from "rational retail proof points" to an "emotional truth," the retailer aimed to position itself as the starting point for every consumer journey rather than just an every-errand destination.

According to iSpot Creative Assessment, the ad’s focus on a wobbly young figure skater instead of gold medals resonated deeply with American viewers. As advertisers increasingly demand that creative acts as a competitive lever, understanding the gap between "likability" and "intent to act" is essential for optimizing spend across linear and streaming environments like NBC and Peacock.

Key Takeaways from Walmart’s Olympics Campaign:

• Exceptional Creative Breakthrough: The spot outpaced the discount store 90-day norm by +81 points, landing in the 93rd percentile for Attention and the 97th percentile for Watchability, driven largely by the relatable on-screen talent and heartfelt narrative.
• The "Product Focus" Trade-off: While the message was highly inspiring, the product was cited as the "Single Best Thing" by only 6% of viewers (vs. an 11% category norm), leading to purchase intent that met, but did not exceed, industry benchmarks.
• Branding Clarity vs. Narrative Immersion: Despite an 82% unaided recall rate, qualitative feedback indicated that clear Walmart branding only appeared at the end, causing some viewers to miss the connection between the story and the brand until the final seconds.
• Generational Engagement Gaps: Second-by-second trace data reflected an early engagement gap among viewers aged 21-35 compared to older demographics, though the non-skippable nature of the Olympics environment ensured high completion rates across the board.
• Strategic Brand Building: Compared to the "Who Knew" campaign, which was more effective at driving immediate action through balanced product focus, "Here’s to Starting" functioned as a superior equity piece, reinforcing deeper emotional connections with Walmart’s core demographic.

Walmart’s "Here's to Starting" proves that high-production, emotionally resonant creative can successfully cut through the noise of a fragmented marketplace. However, for brands to move from descriptive storytelling to prescriptive business results, they must bridge the gap between "feel-good" content and clear brand attribution.