Procter & Gamble and N.Y.-based supermarket chain Key Food are capitalizing on the upcoming regular-season matchup of the NFL’s two N.Y. teams with a marketing campaign featuring Jets WR Eric Decker and Giants CB Prince Amukamara. The season-long effort, which came together this summer as a result of P&G's pitch to the chain, will have increased activity leading up to Jets-Giants on Dec. 6 at MetLife Stadium. “This campaign was designed to help Key Food remind their shoppers about categories and brands that are in most homes but shoppers do not tend to think about when they shop a grocery store,” P&G Communications Manager Aileen Slocum Musselman said. “It was purposely done with NFL players in fun scenarios as a way to entertain shoppers and help them associate these items with Key Food.” The ads play off the natural cross-town rivalry of Decker and Amukamara with a series of self-deprecating and good-natured attacks in the form of videos, GIFs and tweets on digital and social media properties, as well as with in-store displays and circulars. Often featuring one player strongly suggesting the use of a P&G personal care product to the other, the campaign uses the hashtag #TheClosestRivals. “To take a jab at Tide laundry detergent or Crest toothpaste, it’s kind of difficult to make that funny without the right personalities,” Key Food Interactive Marketing & PR Manager Michele Gissi said of Decker and Amukamara. “We were able to create something fun and engaging despite having a tight turnaround time, and the feedback so far has been really positive.” This is the first time that Key Food has done a campaign like this, Gissi said. However, it is nothing new for P&G and its brands. Tide, for example, has been utilizing Eagles RB Darren Sproles and Cowboys WR Cole Beasley for a #SmallButPowerful social media push throughout this season, while a wide range of NFL players have promoted #OurColors in recent years.
