The Scoop: Paris braces for grand, precarious Olympics opening night
Plus: OpenAI announces AI-powered search engine; MrBeast responds to allegations against ex-collaborator.
![Facade of the town hall of Paris, France, decorated for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Paris is the host city of the 2024 Summer Olympics (The Daily Scoop)](https://s39940.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/iStock-2060672840.jpg)
Paris will welcome the world on Friday with the formal opening of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
As planned, this year’s ceremony is truly one-of-a-kind: A flotilla of vessels will carry 10,000 athletes down the Seine River past iconic Parisian landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Musée d’Orsay, as well hundreds of thousands of sports fans.
Programming includes more than 3,000 performers, including musicians and dancers on bridges, as well as an array of other cultural displays, according to the BBC.
The lighting of the Olympic cauldron – and the unveiling of the mystery torchbearer – is sure to be a highlight of the show.
Why it matters: The opening ceremonies have become one of the largest real-time brand awareness campaigns in the world. French television presenter Daphné Bürki described the event as “the biggest show of the 21st century four times over,” per the BBC.
With an estimated 1.5 billion viewers tuning in from around the world, the four-hour show represents an incredible brand-building opportunity for Paris.
The City of Light is already among the largest tourist destinations in the world. However, Friday night’s event and the overall Summer Games represent a once-in-a-lifetime chance to leave an indelible mark on a massive global audience. Paris is first Olympic host city to hold the opening ceremony outside of a stadium setting.
Paris’ decision to host the Olympics s is an important branding opportunity within the nation of France as well. The New York Times report suggests hosting the event is a way for Paris to “jump-start urban rebirth” in some parts of the city through investments in infrastructure to accommodate the two-week event.
On early Friday, Paris was a victim of “prepared and coordinated” acts of “sabotage,” including arson, that crippled the country’s high-speed rail network early Friday.
Paris officials had a pair of contingency plans in place for the opening ceremony – Plans B and C, as they call them – in the case there were additional security reasons, per the Wall Street Journal. However, it appears the city feels comfortable hosting the unique parade of nations throughout the heart of the city as planned
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Paris time, or 1:30 p.m. ET.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- OpenAI has developed an AI-powered search engine, SearchGPT, with input from the major news agencies such as Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press, according to The Verge. SearchGPT, which will eventually integrate into ChatGPT, will allow publishers to manage how they appear in search features, the OpenAI team wrote in a blog post. This is a shift from how search engines have treated news sites in the past, and a major shift in how AI engages with news. As content creators grow more litigious, forging strong partnerships on the front-end is the smart play. And it could prove a much-needed boost for the news industry in a time of great struggle.
- MrBeast is in damage control mode after rumors circulated that one of the brand’s frequent collaborators, Ava Kris Tyson, exchanged inappropriate messages with an underage social media user. The brand’s founder, Jimmy Donaldson, went to social media to announce that the brand had cut ties with Tyson, saying he was “disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts” and had launched an “independent investigation into the matter.” So far, Donaldson has said and done all the right PR things on paper, especially distancing himself and the brand from Tyson. The MrBeast brand – which has grown from producing kid-friendly videos to selling products such as candy bars in stores like Walmart– needed to distance itself from Tyson as soon as possible to retain its wholesome identity. While evidence of any specific wrongdoings by Tyson remains circumstantial at this point, we know the court of public opinion works swiftly.
- Southwest Airlines – the original low-fare airline dating back – has decided to end its 58-year-old open-seating policy. Southwest had touted its model of open seating as the “ultimate expression of its founding ethos: to make air travel affordable and accessible for everyone,” according to Los Angeles Times. However, the move reflects a desire to be able to charge customers more money for premium seats. The move makes sense from a business standpoint, as the company wants to be able to charge more for premium seats and the bottom line will always win. But from a PR and branding point of view, the approach creates some challenges. Southwest has worked for decades to establish a reputation as an affordable flying option for the Average Joe. These changes may upturn the perception many flyers have about the airline when they’re going to look for prices.
Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.