In Cincinnati, Dan Monk reports Procter & Gamble will "launch Olympic-themed packaging for about 600 products in the U.S. this spring, including a moisturizing shampoo in which the Pantene brand will play up its sponsorship" of U.S. Gold Medal-winning swimmer Natalie Coughlin. Pantene Brand Manager Vahe Ayvazian said, "She is the perfect fit for our brand, a beautiful woman with healthy hair. We've begun to think about this idea of healthy being the new beautiful." Pantene is "one of 34 brands involved in Cincinnati-based P&G's most aggressive Olympic marketing campaign ever" (CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER, 3/23 issue). Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Jill Rosen wrote it seems "everyone wants to talk" about U.S. Gold Medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps’ new shampoo commerical for Head & Shoulders. His Subway spots "didn't generate this much buzz," but he "had clothes on in those” (Baltimore SUN, 3/26).
SURF'S UP: MARKETING magazine's John Reynolds reports Pepsi has launched its '12 "Football" campaign for its Pepsi Max brand, which features FC Barcelona MF Lionel Messi and EPL club Chelsea F Didier Drogba, among others, "crowd surfing at an outdoor music festival." The ad was created by CLM BBDO, N.Y. The campaign is "initially launching online before a global TV campaign kicks off on April 4" (MARKETINGMAGAZINE.co.uk, 3/27).
REACHING THE GREEN: Security company IdentityX, Clune Construction and Ireland-based Blarney.com will sponsor golfer Padraig Harrington for three weeks, raising funds through the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation for Gerard Byrne who was recently paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident. The three sponsors will each appear on Harrington's apparel during the Shell Houston Open, The Masters and the RBC Heritage, with IdentityX also featured on his headwear (IMG).
IRON MIKE: Former boxer Mike Tyson has signed a deal with Upper Deck and will appear in new Upper Deck trading card releases. Tyson's trading card debut will come with the release of Upper Deck's '12 Goodwin Champions. The boxer will appear in several other trading card releases this year, some of which will contain signed versions of his cards. Upper Deck Authenticated will soon hold a signing session with Tyson and sell a variety of items signed by him (Upper Deck).
