P&G expands sports portfolio with British Athletics deal

Household goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) has expanded its commercial portfolio in sport by signing up as a partner of the British Athletics governing body.

As an official advertising partner of British Athletics, P&G will use the partnership to build consumer engagement through a number of its brands. P&G’s brands include Pampers, Gillette and Duracell. P&G, a top-tier partner of the International Olympic Committee, was unveiled last month as the first partner of the 2015 European Games multi-sport event in Baku, Azerbaijan.

P&G will support the partnership through television advertising. The length of the agreement was not disclosed.

“It is a great honour for the number one Olympic and Paralympic sport to team up with some of Britain’s leading brands,” British Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos said. “It is exciting to have a huge global company on board as an advertising partner and they can clearly see the benefits of utilising sport – and specifically athletics – for consumer engagement.”

Roisin Donnelly, P&G’s UK marketing director, added: “We’re delighted to be involved with British Athletics. It sits naturally alongside our 10-year partnership with the International Olympics Committee. Sport is amongst the most powerful communication platforms to connect with parents and celebrate values that are also at the core of P&G brands – excellence, friendship, inspiration.”