Wednesday, 5 October 2011

P&G Says: Thanks, Mum

How does the maker of Pampers nappies, Gillette razors and Olay beauty products tie its advertising to the 2012 Olympic Games in London?

Procter & Gamble--which owns dozens of global blockbuster brands--is planning an emotional campaign to thank the mothers of Olympic athletes. This "Nearest and Dearest" campaign starts with local road shows and promotions offering family tickets to next year's Olympics.

Special events will be held in Edinburgh and Newcastle during October; in Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham and Milton Keynes during November; in Cardiff, Exeter, Bath and Southampton during January; in Belfast and Norwich in February; and in London during March, just weeks before the Olympics begin.

Mothers are an important target market for Procter & Gamble, which ran a special "Thanks, Mom" campaign as a sponsor of the US Olympic Team during the 2010 games in Vancouver. That Olympic-themed campaign was credited with significantly increasing P&G's North American sales. Will UK mums respond to the "Nearest and Dearest" campaign by buying more P&G brands?