Procter & Gamble’s Olympic sponsorship is set to generate an addition $500m in sales according to its CEO. This case study looks at how the FMCG giant is using the digital channel to push its umbrella Olympic message across 34 of its brands.
In announcing the firm’s positive Q2 results, Proctor and Gamble CEO Bob McDonald has cited P&G’s Olympics sponsorship as an example of its “scale brought to life”. Covering 34 brands and 4m stores over six months, this umbrella campaign should yield $500m in incremental sales, and a payback 50% higher than single brand efforts.
Its hugely successful ‘Olympic Mums’ YouTube campaign has racked up over 10 million views across global territories. P&G is using its voice at the London 2012 Olympic Games to recognise a special person behind every athlete: Mum. P&G will serve the Mums of Olympians in London at the P&G Family Home, which is a home away from home where Mums and families of Olympians can relax and be together during the Olympic Games.
P&G’s Thank You Mum campaign is the most far-reaching campaign in P&G’s 175-year history. The campaign is being brought to life through a variety of media channels from April through August.
As part of the campaign, P&G has created a series of video tributes called “Raising an Olympian” that tell the athletes’ stories through the eyes of their Mums.
In addition, the company is sponsoring E!’s online and mobile coverage of the Games, running pre-roll video ads for several of its brands, and launching Facebook and Twitter campaigns tied to the London Games.
P&G brands Pantene, Clairol, Cover Girl and Crest 3D White are getting extension play in E!’s iPad app hese brief-but-playful reports. The brands are mentioned by E! talent during the spots, and their logos appear at the end.
P&G has introduced a line-up of more than 150 athletes the company and its brands are sponsoring at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Gillette, a P&G brand, partnered with a team of 24 world-class athletes from 18 countries that will represent the world’s leading male grooming brand at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The team of international athletes represents P&G and 34 leadership brands including Pampers, Tide/Ariel, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Duracell and Gillette. The team has been selected from 48 countries and includes approximately 70 men and more than 80 women.
These athletes will also serve as ambassadors for P&G brands. They will be featured in advertising and retail programmes in more than four million stores around the world. Examples of P&G brand campaigns include:
* Gillette – “A Great Start Every Day” campaign featuring Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, British cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, Chinese Badminton player Lin Dan, Brazilian swimmer Felipe Franca and American swimmer Ryan Lochte.
* Ariel & Tide – “Proud Keeper of Your Country’s Colours” campaign featuring Turkish runner Nevin Yanit and Mexican pentathlete Oscar Soto.
* Pampers – “Celebrating Babies’ Unique Spirit of Play” campaign featuring US beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings and British marathoner Paula Radcliffe.
* Pantene – “Keep Shining” campaign featuring Argentine tennis player Gisela Dulko, Mexican diver Paola Espinosa, and American swimmer Natalie Coughlin.
* Head & Shoulders – “Wash in Confidence” featuring American swimmer Michael Phelps and French handball player Nikola Karabatic.
“We are delighted to introduce P&G’s family of athletes to the world. The world-class Olympians we’re sponsoring embody the dedication, passion and commitment that inspires us as a company,” said Marc Pritchard, P&G’s Global Brand Building Officer.
Rudy Fernandez, Spanish basketball player and brand ambassador for Gillette, said, “As Olympic athletes, we have a real opportunity to inspire others, and as part of P&G’s programme, we are given the support to help us do that. P&G makes a difference to the everyday life of people in all corners of the globe. I am very happy to be able to say that I am on their team.”
P&G has also made a commitment to raise US$5 million to support local youth sports programmes through a portion of sales and donations from the company’s leadership brands including Pampers, Tide, Gillette and Pantene.
