Procter & Gamble signs as major sponsor of US Olympic Team
Related Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser, has signed up as a major sponsor of the US Olympic Team for the forthcoming winter and summer games. The deal means that Cincinnati-based P&G will be a corporate partner and sponsor for the US teams in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and London 2012 Summer Games.The deal comes a month after P&G agreed to a major NFL sponsorship. Four P&G brands, including Gillette shavers, are ‘official products’ of NFL locker rooms, and eight others can carry the NFL logo in retail marketing under a multiyear contract that begins this football season in America. The USOC deal is also a big boost to the US Olympic Committee’s efforts to attract sponsors in the current recession.Financial details were not released, although it is estimated that such deals with companies of this size are typically worth at least US$15 million (€10.5 million).The Olympics tie-in involves 17 P&G brands, from Olay skin care to Pantene shampoo to Pringles snacks.”It’s a very significant announcement for us,” said Lisa Baird, USOC’s Chief Marketing Officer. “It goes to the depth of marketing that a company like Procter & Gamble can bring to our athletes and the Olympic movement.”The USOC recently lost General Motors and The Home Depot as sponsors and is reportedly trying to renew deals with Bank of America and AT&T. The federation had previously signed smaller deals with Ralph Lauren, Acer, Adecco and Deloitte.Baird said more sponsorships are in the pipeline and that the addition of P&G could help attract others. “Obviously, Procter & Gamble is a leading marketer, and other companies look to them,” she added.The P&G deal includes individual athlete partnerships; digital, print and television advertising, and Team USA-logo merchandising.P&G brands have had smaller Olympic sponsorships in the past, including the support of US gymnasts in the Beijing Summer Games in 2008. However, P&G officials said this will be their most extensive Olympics involvement to date.Kirk Perry, P&G’s Vice President for North America, said the company was attracted by the Olympics’ strong appeal for women, teens, 18-to-34-year-olds and other key demographic groups.”We always talk about meeting our consumers where they are, and this is certainly where they are,” Perry said.P&G spends some US$8 billion (€5.6 billion) a year on advertising.www.pg.com