P&G sets Olympic bar high
Procter & Gamble aims for its “P&G proud sponsor of mums” messaging for the London 2012 Olympics and recently announced Paralympics sponsorship campaigns, to be as iconic and long-lasting as its Gillette and Fairy liquid campaigns.
P&G announced it had bolstered its 10-year Olympic sponsorship deal by becoming an official partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games earlier this week.
The “proud sponsor of mums” campaign marks the first time the company has pushed a consumer marketing message under the P&G banner, rather than through a brand from its portfolio, which also includes Pampers and Ariel.
Nathan Homer, P&G’s Olympics project director, says the company aims for the strapline and new positioning to be part of a long-term strategy beyond promoting its London 2012 partnership.
He adds: “Brilliant campaigns like Gillette or Fairy last for decades and sometimes even more than one hundred years. This is the start of one of those journeys, aligning all of our brands together.”
Gillette has used the “The Best a man can get” strapline for decades, while the Fairy liquid bottle featuring a baby and ad jingles are among the most recognised in marketing history.
Homer says P&G has decided to link the portfolio together because in the past consumers were not as interested in corporate governance or CSR values, but the digital world has been a driver in changing public interest in companies.
P&G is currently pushing its Olympics partnership by offering 90% of its corporate ticket allocation to families through on-pack competitions and other promotions.
The company is also partnering with Sainsbury’s to host a family festival that will feature Paralympic athletes and pop acts including The Saturdays and Taio Cruz.
