P&G Launches Biggest Campaign Ever Around London Games Called "Thank You, Mom"

Procter & Gamble today announced it is launching its biggest ad campaign ever, as "Thank You, Mom" will focus on "thanking mothers of Olympians and would-be Olympians around the world,” according to Tanzina Vega of the N.Y. TIMES. The campaign is a “broader extension of the mothers campaign” created by Wieden & Kennedy for the ’10 Vancouver Games. The campaign includes “digital media, print and television ads and a mobile application.” The cornerstone of the campaign is an 80-second TV spot "showing the mothers of young athletes preparing them for their day.” The spots feature “mothers and children (played by actors) in four Olympic cities past, present and future: Los Angeles, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.” Different versions of the ad “have been produced for specific countries, including China, Brazil and Russia.” P&G leading up to and throughout the London Games will also "show a series of minidocumentaries called 'Raising an Olympian,' which will tell stories about how mothers raise their children to be Olympians.” The documentaries will begin in “early May online, including social media sites like Facebook and YouTube.” Consumers can also use the “Thank You, Mom” mobile app to “upload videos, photos or texts to send messages of thanks to their mothers.” In addition to supporting the mothers of athletes, P&G will sponsor 150 Olympic and Paralympic athletes (and hopefuls) for the '12 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some of the sponsorships “will include the athletes in commercials for certain Procter & Gamble products.” An upcoming commercial for Pampers will feature beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh and a spot for Gillette will feature track athlete Tyson Gay and swimmer Ryan Lochte (N.Y. TIMES, 4/17).