P&G plans upsurge in Games-led marketing

Procter & Gamble is accelerating activation of its London 2012 Olympic sponsorship by readying Games-themed brand campaigns for Duracell and Gillette.

PG

A Duracell-branded television and social media campaign will break in the summer to promote gaming accessories that carry the battery brand’s name.

It will partner with an as yet unspecified gaming company and host a 24-hour ‘virtual relay’ across social media that will encourage consumers to take part in an online game dubbed Power Pass. The social activity is part of Duracell’s ‘Never miss a golden moment’ Olympic campaign.

Shaving brand Gillette is also preparing to launch the second phase of its ‘Great Start’ brand activity later this month. It will introduce a sponsorship programme, fronted by British Olympic hopefuls Liam Tancock and Sir Chris Hoy, that will provide grants for dads wanting to become coaches for children’s sport teams.

The news comes hot on the heels of Pampers’ ‘Little Athletes’ campaign featuring runner Paula Radcliffe, and a Braun campaign featuring synchronised swimmer Jenna Randall.

Each brand’s activity is part of P&G’s overarching Olympic sponsorship programme that aims to boost awareness of the corporate brand through its consumer products. Its ‘Thank You, Mum’ campaign carries the P&G brand.

Nathan Homer, Olympics project director at P&G UK and Ireland, says: “Our line-up of brand campaigns are starting to land across the UK and there’s much more to come.

“As well as featuring their individual ambassador and campaign messages, these activations are all part of our strategy of talking to our customers about how P&G is the company behind their favourite brands and how these brands make a small but meaningful difference in their everyday lives.

“We know that as the association between our brands and the company gets stronger, people’s favourability towards us grows, and our business grows with it.”

Recommended

American Apparel

‘Pornographic’ American Apparel ads banned

Rosie Baker

American Apparel has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority for a series of “pornographic and exploitative” ads that inappropriately sexualise young women, while H&M’s ads starring David Beckham in his pants have been judged acceptable.

BlackBerry

BB risks poor reception from business users

Lara O'Reilly

BlackBerry’s announcement that it is to focus the majority of its marketing efforts on business customers is likely to be met with apathy from the market it is pinning its turnaround hopes on, according to data seen by Marketing Week.