Documentary series is an ‘Qualified’ success for United States Olympic Committee

The technique of a documentary crew following a subject from the beginning to the end of a journey is not new, but it is effective—especially when applied to a group of people undergoing similar journeys in pursuit of a common goal. In this case, more than 30 videos followed five Olympic athletes and two Paralympians from training through the competition itself. 

The videos—which take home the prize for Best Video or Podcast Series in PR Daily’s 2014 Digital PR Awards—explored how these athletes prepared; the impact on their lives; the relationships they maintained with friends, family, and coaches; and the degree of commitment required to compete at the Olympic level. While the USOC could have selected any five athletes, or chosen those who were shoe-ins for medals, the focus instead was on athletes who had already established a social media footprint, interacting regularly with large fan bases. 

The consistent approach to the videos—packaged under the name “Qualified”—made viewing the series feel like part of a whole, which kept viewers coming back for the next installment. The videos were viewed more than 285,000 times across multiple channels, since they were available wherever fans of Team USA might go looking for content. 

We offer our congratulations to USOC team members Lisa Baird, chief marketing officer; John Pierce, managing director of marketing and productions; Lauren Pasquale, director of digital media operations; Chris Coleman, associate director of athlete marketing; Coyote Marino, manager of content development; and Megan Coffey, project coordinator for digital media.

See the videos here.