Behind P&G’s new Olympics strategy highlighting multiple brands over a high-profile corporate ad

Procter & Gamble Co. broke in as an Olympics advertiser 14 years ago with its “Proud Sponsor of Moms” corporate brand ad from Wieden+Kennedy. What followed for more than a decade was a series of often tear-jerking Olympics spots backing the P&G brand alongside product brand effort. This year, the game plan is very different. There’s no global corporate branding film for the Summer Games set to open in Paris on July 26. Instead, the marketer is putting more than 30 of what it calls its “superior-performing household and personal care brands” front and center this year in an effort that should perhaps be called “Procter & Gamble, Proud Sponsor of Brands.” Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs What you won’t see is an anthemic P&G ad with an emotional narrative about moms, dads or social betterment, as has been the case for much of the past decade-plus. That included the original 2010“Thank you mom” ad from Wieden; creative focusing on the strength of moms in 2016; a #LoveOverBias spot for in 2018; and a nod to the role of dads, specifically Chloe Kim’s dad, in 2022. P&G, like many Olympic advertisers, soft-pedaled its campaign around the 2022 Summer Games in Beijing due to controversy around China but still had corporate ads around the Kims. Brand-focused strategy Prominently featuring brands fits what P&G has learned about the Olympics over the years, said Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard in an interview. “What really connects people with our brands and the Olympics and the athletes is the performance of our brands,” Pritchard said, which will make the campaign engaging for consumers and “the most effective for creating growth and value with our retailers.” Retailer tie-ins, including displays and other merchandising events, will be a major part of the effort and the expected sales impact. P&G’s brands collectively will work with more than 150 retailers in 40 countries around the effort. “We have a really small central team,” Pritchard said, which provided direction to brands that “we want to prominently feature the superior performance of our brands in an Olympic-inspired theme, and use that as a way to work with our retailers.” From there, he said, brands in each country decided whether and how they wanted to participate. “We have more brands participating than we ever have,” he said. So is the brand-centric approach without a high-profile corporate ad the way of the future? Perhaps, but P&G is signed on as an Olympic Games sponsor through the Los Angeles Games in 2028, and envisions a continual evolution” of its approach, he said. The marketer did not disclose spend for the campaigns. Creative covers wide range With all those brands doing their own things, campaign creative covers a wide gamut. Venus is launching “The Power of Smooth: campaign to tout it as the razor athletes trust, especially as the last step of their pre-competition routines. Gillette, with a long sports heritage, will issue a gold razor and feature its highest-end Gillette Labs product line. ZzzQuil will have a “Sleep Like an Everyday Champion” campaign showing better sleep as a key to high performance. Always, the “Official Period Product of Paris 2024,” is launching the “It’s a New Period” campaign aimed at addressing period anxiety in sports, with a U.K. version already out featuring British track athlete Jazmin Sawyers overcoming concerns before an event. Olympic Village and social media Many P&G brand efforts will center around the Olympic Village for athletes in Paris. For example, Pampers will have a brand-themed nursery for children of athletes and their families. Pantene and Mielle Organics will sponsor a salon for athletes. Oral-B will have a dental clinic. And Always and Tampax will have period products. Of course, P&G hopes what happens in Paris doesn’t stay in Paris, and that athletes using its facilities and products will be inclined to post videos and images on social media. “The organic content that comes from these athletes who have followings of their own and are influencers and creators in their own right is a big part of this,” Pritchard said.

Behind P&G’s new Olympics strategy highlighting multiple brands over a high-profile corporate ad

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