Massive campaign to include more than 30 brands
Procter & Gamble is giving a big shout-out to the moms of Canada’s Olympic Games’ athletes as part of a multi-level marketing initiative in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The “Proud Sponsor of Moms” campaign will honour moms of Olympic athletes by bringing many to the Games to see their children compete. Athletes and families will enjoy a “home away from home” at the Canada Olympic House in London, which will feature amenities such as beauty treatments and laundry services. For moms unable to attend, P&G will connect them to their children via technology.
“Moms are at the heart of our business. We know how tough, but rewarding, parenting can be, and it’s time to say thank you in a big way,” says David Grisim, associate marketing director, Procter & Gamble Canada. “When the country cheers on our athletes in London, we want to shine the light on those who helped them get there.”
Adam van Koeverden, three-time Olympic Games medalist and London 2012 hopeful, and his mom, Beata, are on board as Canadian spokespersons for the campaign. “From the first day I started kayaking, my mom has been my ultimate supporter and fan,” van Koeverden said in a release. “I’d like to thank P&G for acknowledging the incredibly important role that moms play in our training, preparation and competitive lives.”
The “Proud Sponsor of Moms” campaign is part of a larger sponsorship effort. In June 2010, P&G and the International Olympic Committee announced a global 10-year partnership whereby P&G will sponsor the next five Olympic Games. The partnership is being touted as a natural fit for the IOC’s purpose to improve life through sport and P&G’s corporate strapline, “Touching lives, improving life.”
When the partnership was announced, P&G said it had begun an ongoing dialogue with moms of Olympians. The “Proud Sponsor of Moms,” program is an extension of these efforts.
The upcoming London effort continues the success of P&G’s sponsorship of Team USA at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, where it first introduced “Proud Sponsor of Moms.” The launch unified 18 P&G products in a multi-platform campaign—from sponsoring the Vancouver Olympics Family Home to paying travel expenses to advertising deals with Olympic stars, digital efforts and those tear-jerker television ads from Wieden + Kennedy Portland.
According to the company, that campaign delivered:
• 30% higher brand recall amongst the target audience
• 37% higher message recall than pre-Olympics ads
• 39% higher brand recall and 62% higher message recall than average Olympic ads
• 10 point increase in P&G’s equity among U.S.
“It helped validate that we had the insight and consumer understanding. We learned a lot” to prepare for the global roll-out in 2012, said Grisim.
To strike the right note in this country, P&G Canada partnered with the Canadian Olympic Committee to understand how Canadians relate to the Olympics, especially with their success at the 2010 Winter Games.
“We are in such a unique place,” said Grisim, adding P&G Canada lobbied to be one of three countries to launch a local version of the campaign early in order to capitalize Vancouver’s golden afterglow.
P&G has already unveiled some television advertising and is launching programs with its retail partners—special displays will go up during the next three months.
“This is the largest multi-level brand program we’ve ever done with P&G Canada… What’s really exciting is being able to work on a corporate level, but also see it come together for each of the brands,” said Grisim.
The Canadian campaign will encompass more than 30 brands in more than 20 categories. Expect a holistic communication strategy that leverages all the tools, said Grisim, adding there is an opportunity to leverage global creative, but also made-in-Canada initiatives. Cossette, for instance, is working on P&G’s corporate messaging.
P&G is also reaching beyond mothers to a wider audience by inviting Canadians to visit PG.ca/Moms and accessing the “Thank You, Mom” video creator on Facebook to create their own messages.
Grisim promises a heart-warming strategy that will have Canadians reaching for the tissues. “You just wait… On our best days we want to create a bit of a movement for Canadians to thank their moms. The Olympics is a platform by which to do this.”
