Four’N Twenty, Woolworths and July have taken out podium positions at Australian Olympic Committee’s 2024 Inspiration Awards on Thursday night at Sydney's Allianz Stadium.
The awards recognise Team partners and official suppliers who delivered exceptional campaigns that connected Australians with the Olympic spirit and supported the Australian Olympic Team, judged by a panel that included Olympians Melissa Wu and Mack Horton.
Four’N Twenty took gold in the Best Partner Campaign category for their innovative “Running on Paris Time” campaign. Celebrating the dedication of Australian fans, the campaign embraced the sacrifices of sleepless nights during the Paris 2024 Olympics with the tagline, “Being a Fan is Hungry Work.”
Woolworths was named Runner-Up Partner Campaign for their “Fresh Fuels the Best in All of Us” initiative, which used a mix of Olympian ambassadors including Mollie O’Callaghan, Jeff Dunne, and Maurice Longbottom and Paralympian Col Pearse. Creative activations across TV, social, digital, and in-store connected fresh food, performance and community engagement.
July claimed the award for Best Supplier Campaign with their “Tested by Olympians” campaign. The campaign’s digital-first approach showcased July’s Paris 2024 Team Australia suitcase with Olympians Mackenzie Arnold, Jeff Dunne, Peter Bol, Zoe Poulis, and Brooke Buschkuehl putting their Olympic luggage to the test.
AOC CEO Matt Carroll congratulated the winners at the function.
“Our partners and suppliers play a vital role in making it possible for the AOC to ensure the Australian Olympic Team, the 3rd largest team at the Games, had the opportunity to perform at its best. They also bring the Games closer to all Australians, to be inspired by their Olympians,” Mr Carroll said.
“Their creativity and commitment allow us to tell the stories of our athletes, motivating the next generation and engaging communities across the country.”
“Congratulations to the teams at Four’N Twenty, Woolworths, and July for your campaigns and to the entire Australian Olympic Team partner family for helping Australian athletes to achieve their dreams on the Olympic stage in Paris, the most successful Australian Team in Olympic history.
“These campaigns do more than promote great brands—they connect Australians to the Olympic spirit and remind us of the incredible support required to reach the pinnacle of sport. We are immensely proud to work alongside such innovative and passionate partners.”
The judging panel included Tamara Oppen, marketing industry professional and Tokyo 2020 Inspiration Award winner, alongside Olympians Mack Horton and Melissa Wu.
Anand Surujpal, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Four’N Twenty welcomed the award.
“We are exceptionally proud to win the Best Partner Campaign Award from AOC,” Mr Surujpal said. “The Patties team found a deep connection between the athletes in Paris and the fans cheering on our Olympians from home.
“Our Four’N Twenty campaign captured the energy and excitement of a spectacular Olympics for Team Australia. We saw Aussie fans dedicated to their late-night Olympics viewing and are thrilled that Four'N Twenty was there to fuel these epic nights.”
Andrew Hicks, Chief Marketing Officer at Woolworths Group celebrated his team’s achievement.
"Woolworths is proud to have been acknowledged with the Best Partner Campaign Runner Up in the Australian Olympic Committee Inspirations awards,” he said.
“This recognition is a testament to the passion, creativity and innovative thinking of our team, our talented agency partners, and the incredible Australian athletes who inspired us all. As the fresh food partner of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams since 2016, this campaign helped inspire Australians everywhere to fuel themselves with fresh healthy food."
Founder and Director of July, Athan Didaskalou was thrilled to see July take out Best Supplier campaign.
"Being a five-year-old luggage brand sharing the podium with Aussie icons like Woolies and Four'N Twenty feels kind of ridiculous - in the best way possible! We're just a small team who believed that sharp creative and genuine passion could cut through all the noise. Our Olympic campaign proved that if you've got heart and a bold idea, you can make an impact.”
