CASE STUDY
SANOFI
STRATEGY | IMPLEMENTATION | ATHLETE MANGEMENT
We developed a purpose-driven Olympic and Paralympic activation strategy to ignite Sanofi’s commitment to inclusion and engage its global employees.
© Sanofi
Sanofi is an international company dedicated to improving people’s lives through the miracles of science. With global employees working on their mission, Sanofi wanted to use their Olympic and Paralympic sponsorship to recognize their team members' unique voices and experiences under a united ONE SANOFI banner.
We were tasked with developing a purpose-driven Olympic and Paralympic activation strategy to bring Sanofi’s DEI commitments to life and engage their employees across the world.
THE CHALLENGE
Sanofi’s partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympics provided several exciting opportunities to unite employees, accelerate internal cultural transformation, and improve corporate reputation. Our team wanted to take it a step further, using an impact-based approach to bring Sanofi’s mission to improve people’s lives through science to life.
We curated a purpose-led team of Olympians and Paralympians and developed a global employee engagement campaign: Team Sanofi and the Sanofi Cup. These initiatives represented Sanofi and its mission both internally and externally during the Games.
OUR SOLUTION
© Sanofi
TEAM SANOFI
Team Sanofi is a diverse, global group of athletes and coaches committed to their success on the field—and leaving a positive legacy off of it.
In addition to their athletic skills, each team member was selected based on their dedication to addressing societal challenges such as physical and mental health, women’s rights, and access to education.
We activated this team of superstar athletes and coaches to bring Sanofi employees together and generate their excitement for Paris 2024. Team Sanofi executed approximately 230 appearances during the partnership, engaging with around 25,000 Sanofi employees.
17 SPORT’S ROLE
Overall team strategy development
Team member selection and negotiation
Management of athlete activation logistics
EZRA FRECH
AMANDINE BUCHARD
Para Track and Field, USA
2x Gold
Judo, France
2x Gold / 1x Silver / 1x Bronze
Para Athletics, Italy
DAVIDE MORANA
NICOLAS MAHUT
Tennis, France
Davide uses his platform to raise awareness about meningitis prevention and energize patient communities.
Nicolas’ goal is to raise awareness for domestic violence, teaching boys that it’s not just a women’s issue.
Nicolai is dedicated to developing coaching for para sports and giving back to the community.
Wheelchair Basketball Coach, Germany
SARAH FARHOUD
NICOLAI ZELTINGER
Paralympic Team Doctor, Saudi Arabia
Sarah is on a mission to raise women’s profiles in sport, starting with a run for women and girls in Riyadh.
YUL MOLDAUER
Gymnastics, USA
SARAH M’BARECK
Football Coach, France
Yul aims to increase awareness around Asian hate and fight biases against men in gymnastics.
Sarah is a motivational speaker passionate about women coaches and women’s rights in sports.
VALÉRIANE AYAYI-VUKOSAVLJEVIĆ
THÉO CURIN
Basketball, France
1x Silver / 1x Bronze
Para Swimming, France
Valériane is a role model for women in sports after competing in Rio 2020 while three months pregnant.
Théo uses his story and strong social media presence to advocate for meningitis awareness and prevention.
Ezra is on a mission to normalize disability and build a more inclusive world.
Amandine fights for women’s rights, raising awareness of violence against women.
Para Athletics, France
3x Gold / 3x Silver / 2x Bronze
DANIS CIVIL “DANY DANN”
Breakdancing, France
1x Silver
NANTENIN KEITA
Nantenin advocates for people with disabilities, especially people with albinism and blindness.
Danis wants to inspire youth in French overseas regions to achieve their dreams through sport.
Ellie supports Saint Mary Hospital in London to empower and inspire people suffering from meningitis.
Para Rowing, Great Britain
3x Gold
ELLIE CHALLIS
LAUREN ROWLES
Para Swimming, Great Britain
1x Gold / 1x Silver
Lauren aims to challenge perceptions of disability, gender, and sexuality in sports.
SANOFI CUP
We developed the strategy and concept of the Sanofi Cup—an electric global employee activation tournament ahead of the Paris Olympics that invited employees from each region to participate in sports challenges, acts of service, and sportsmanship. After the initial events, each region nominated a team to represent them at the Sanofi Cup Final in Paris.
To make this activation a success, we developed an internal communications campaign to drive participation in the local Sanofi Cup events across 50+ countries. Alongside our partner Shortcut Events, we delivered the Sanofi Cup Final, which saw 240 Sanofians competing in five Olympic and Paralympic sports and attracted an audience of over 6,000 people.
This final event was a celebration of the entire Sanofi workforce. With over 10,000 participants and supporters, it was Sanofi’s largest and most inclusive employee engagement event ever undertaken by the company.
50+
5
COUNTRIES
OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC SPORTS
AUDIENCE
PARTICIPANTS
6k
10K
17 SPORT’S ROLE
Concept development
Toolkit creation
Local office onboarding
Management of event suppliers
Co-production of the Sanofi Cup Final
“Partnering with 17 Sport during the Paris 2024 Games was a game-changer for us. Their team was instrumental in helping us bring our brand's commitment to DEI to life in a way that truly resonated, from building and activating a team of diverse and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic athletes to orchestrating our largest-ever employee activation. With their strategic insight and flawless execution, they empowered us to make a real impact that reflected our values and inspired our community.”
Matthieu Gerard | Head of Partnership Paris 2024, Sanofi
