Procter & Gamble

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Procter & Gamble has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner since 2010, making it one of the more established TOP Programme members. The partnership was extended in July 2020 through the LA28 Games, including global rights with the International Paralympic Committee. P&G's Olympic involvement is built around leveraging its portfolio of 30+ consumer brands (Pampers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Oral-B, Tide, and others) under a unified corporate umbrella.

The "Thank You, Mom" campaign, which ran from 2010 through 2018, is widely regarded as one of the most successful Olympic marketing campaigns in history, generating $500 million in incremental global sales during its first cycle and earning multiple industry awards. For Paris 2024, P&G shifted strategy to foreground individual brands rather than the corporate parent, launching the "Everyday Champions" retail campaign alongside brand-specific activations. LA28 will mark the final Games of P&G's current partnership agreement.

P&G's Olympic strategy serves a dual purpose: building the corporate brand's reputation (P&G was historically invisible to consumers who knew its individual brands but not the parent company) and driving retail sales through Games-themed promotions across dozens of consumer product categories.

1. OLYMPIC HISTORY & MARKETING PRESENCE

1.1 Partnership Timeline & Evolution

Vancouver 2010 (Domestic Sponsor) - Launched "Thank You, Mom," P&G's first-ever corporate advertising campaign - Created by Wieden+Kennedy - Generated $500 million in incremental global sales, 76 billion global media impressions, 74 million+ views, and 370 million+ Twitter interactions - Established the template for all subsequent Olympic activations

London 2012 - Major global push for "Thank You, Mom" - Campaign produced by Wieden+Kennedy featured emotional storytelling of athletes' mothers - Won Cannes Lions Grand Prix and multiple advertising industry awards

Sochi 2014 - "Thank You, Mom: #BecauseOfMom" installment - Continued emotional storytelling format

Rio 2016 - "Thank You, Mom: Strong" campaign - Emphasized mothers' strength and sacrifice

PyeongChang 2018 - "Love Over Bias" installment of "Thank You, Mom" - Addressed bias and discrimination through the lens of a mother's unconditional love - Final iteration of the "Thank You, Mom" format

Tokyo 2020 (Held 2021) - Continued brand activations despite pandemic restrictions - Provided products and services in the Olympic Village

Beijing 2022 - Lower-profile activations due to diplomatic boycotts and COVID-19 protocols

Paris 2024 - Shifted away from "Thank You, Mom" to brand-led strategy - 30+ P&G brands launched Olympic and Paralympic Games-inspired campaigns - "Everyday Champions" retail campaign activated in stores across Europe - Brand-specific highlights: Oral-B's "Brush Like a Champion," Head & Shoulders' "Gold Medal Against Dandruff," Gillette's gold-themed razor, ZzzQuil's "Sleep Like an Everyday Champion" - Operated beauty salons, grooming stations, and laundry services in the Olympic Village - P&G Studios co-produced a documentary film with Harder Than You Think for the Paralympic Games - "Athletes for Good" program: 20 athletes received charitable grants for their community impact partners - First-ever Olympic Village nursery, co-supported by P&G

Milano Cortina 2026 (Winter)

P&G has launched its most extensive Winter Games activation at Milano Cortina 2026:

• Champions Clubhouse: A first-of-its-kind athlete experience in the Olympic and Paralympic Villages, offering signature services and products from Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Tampax, Gillette Venus, and other brands.
• Athlete Welcome Kits: Every competing athlete receives a P&G Welcome Kit featuring products from First Aid Beauty, Oral-B, SK-II, and other performance brands.
• Village laundry services: Dash and Lenor supply complimentary laundry products to all athletes in the Villages as the Official Laundry Products of Milano Cortina 2026.
• Pampers Little Champions Kit: Developed in consultation with athlete parents, the IOC, IPC, and Milano Cortina Organizing Committee, providing premium diapers, wipes, and gifts for athletes traveling with small children.
• Period protection: Always and Tampax products provided in restrooms throughout the Villages.
• 25-brand campaign: Brands including Bounty, Dash, Lenor, Puffs, and Swiffer connect with fans through athlete partnerships and Games-inspired campaigns.
• Campioni Ogni Giorno (Champions Every Day): Community initiative in collaboration with Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 and the Adaptive Winter Sports programme, promoting access to sport for young people with disabilities across Italy.
• First Aid Beauty: Named as Team USA's official skin care brand sponsor for the Winter Games.

1.2 Signature Programs

Thank You, Mom (2010-2018): Six-Games corporate brand campaign. Credited with transforming P&G's corporate reputation from invisible parent company to emotionally resonant consumer brand. Generated over $1 billion in estimated incremental sales across its run.

Athletes for Good: Charitable grant program connecting Olympic and Paralympic athletes with community organizations. 20 athletes per Games cycle receive grants for their nominated partners.

Brand-Specific Athlete Ambassadors (Paris 2024): P&G partnered with more than 100 athletes across 17 countries and 37 sports, aligned with specific portfolio brands: - Gillette Venus: Lydia Jacoby (Swimming, USA - Olympic gold medalist), Anastasia Pagonis (Para Swimming, USA - Paralympic gold medalist), Torri Huske (Swimming, USA - Olympic silver medalist) - Always: Marie-Amélie Le Fur (Para Athletics, France - three-time Paralympic gold medalist) - Braun/Gillette/Head & Shoulders/Oral-B: Alexis Hanquinquant (Para Triathlon, France - Paralympic gold medalist) - Safeguard: Wang Shun (Swimming, China - Olympic gold medalist) - POWERADE: Simone Biles (Gymnastics, USA) - Core Power: Katie Ledecky (Swimming, USA) - Legends Campaign: Alex Morgan (Soccer, USA - Olympic gold medalist) and Jessica Long (Para Swimming, USA - Paralympic gold medalist) headlined as "Legends," joined by "Newcomers" Sophia Smith (Soccer, USA) and Haven Shepherd (Para Swimming, USA)

Olympic Village Services: P&G operates product stations (laundry, grooming, beauty, family care) in the Olympic Village, providing athletes with complimentary products. Includes the first-ever Olympic Village nursery (Paris 2024, co-supported by P&G). Serves both as athlete support and product sampling at scale.

2. LA28-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES

2.1 Announced Plans & Positioning

• LA28 will be the final Games of P&G's current TOP partnership agreement
• No specific LA28 campaigns have been publicly announced as of February 2026
• Expected to continue the brand-led activation strategy established at Paris 2024
• Olympic Village services (laundry, grooming, beauty) anticipated to continue
• Athletes for Good charitable program likely to expand, given the US domestic market
• As a Cincinnati-based company with significant Los Angeles-area operations, P&G has strong domestic interest in LA28
• The question of partnership renewal beyond LA28 will be a significant storyline; P&G has been a TOP Partner for nearly two decades by 2028

MiCo to SoCal Activation: At Milano Cortina 2026, P&G launched "MiCo to SoCal: Countdown to the LA28 Games," a bridge activation within the Champions Clubhouse that celebrates the handoff from the Winter Games to the LA28 Summer Games. The activation features summer sport-inspired games and giveaways, building momentum for LA28.

LA28 Venue Context: The Games will be staged across 40+ competition venues throughout the LA metro area, with a dual-venue Opening Ceremony shared between the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium (announced May 2025). LA28 will be the first Games since 1948 built entirely on existing infrastructure. P&G's Olympic Village services (Champions Clubhouse, laundry, grooming, beauty stations, nursery) will be delivered within existing residential facilities adapted for athlete housing. The 50-state Olympic torch relay, beginning April 2028, provides a national retail activation vehicle for P&G's 30+ brand portfolio. The Ticket Draw registration opened January 14, 2026 with tickets starting at $28, and the first sales drop is scheduled for April 2026.

2.2 Regulatory/Market Context

P&G's consumer products face minimal regulatory challenges specific to the Games. The primary competitive dynamic is retail activation: securing shelf space and promotional placement in supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores during the Olympics. P&G's ability to coordinate Games-themed promotions across 30+ brands and tens of thousands of retail outlets globally is a significant operational advantage that few competitors can match.

3. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & DECISION-MAKERS

3.1 C-Suite Leadership

• Shailesh Jejurikar: President and Chief Executive Officer (since January 1, 2026). Previously COO. Long-time P&G executive who rose through brand management ranks
• Jon R. Moeller: Executive Chairman of the Board (since January 1, 2026). Previously Chairman, President & CEO (2021-2025). Under his leadership, P&G added $17 billion in sales and nearly $180 billion in market capitalization
• Andre Schulten: Chief Financial Officer

3.2 Olympic Partnership Leadership

P&G's Olympic partnership is managed through the company's Global Brand Building organization. Specific Olympic partnership leadership has not been publicly identified in recent disclosures. Historically, the partnership has been overseen by senior brand building executives, given that Olympic activation is a company-wide initiative spanning all business units.

3.3 Board Members with Relevant Experience

P&G's board includes leaders from major consumer and technology companies. Jon Moeller's transition to Executive Chairman maintains continuity on Olympic partnership strategy through the LA28 cycle.

4. AGENCY & CREATIVE PARTNERS

4.1 Agency Model

P&G is the world's largest advertiser by spending, and works with a broad roster of agencies across its brand portfolio. Olympic campaigns have historically been managed through the corporate brand team rather than individual brand agencies.

4.2 Known Agency/Partner Relationships

• Wieden+Kennedy: Created the original "Thank You, Mom" campaign (2010-2018). This remains one of W+K's most celebrated projects
• Saatchi & Saatchi (Publicis Groupe): Long-standing P&G agency partner across multiple brands
• Grey (WPP): P&G agency partner for select brands
• Paris 2024 brand campaigns: Individual P&G brands likely used their respective agency partners (varying by brand and market) rather than a single Olympic-focused agency
• P&G Studios: In-house content production capability, co-produced Paralympic documentary for Paris 2024

4.3 Notable Creative Executions

• "Thank You, Mom" (2010-2018): Six iterations across six Games. Cannes Lions Grand Prix winner. Industry benchmark for corporate Olympic sponsorship
• "Love Over Bias" (PyeongChang 2018): Most socially conscious installment, addressing discrimination
• "Everyday Champions" (Paris 2024): Retail-focused campaign across 30+ brands
• Olympic Village nursery (Paris 2024): First-of-its-kind activation, generating significant media coverage

5. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

5.1 Market Share & Competitive Landscape

P&G is the world's largest consumer goods company (~$84 billion annual revenue), competing primarily with Unilever (~EUR 60 billion), Colgate-Palmolive, Henkel, and Reckitt Benckiser. P&G holds #1 or #2 market share positions in the majority of its product categories globally.

Key Competitors and Their Sports Sponsorship Strategies: - Unilever: P&G's primary global competitor. Unilever is a FIFA World Cup 2026 sponsor (through brands including Dove and Rexona/Degree), giving it a major sports platform in the same 2026-2028 window as LA28. Unilever does not hold an Olympic partnership, leaving P&G unchallenged in the Olympic FMCG category. - Colgate-Palmolive: No comparable global sports sponsorship. Sponsors individual athletes and regional events but lacks P&G's scale of Olympic activation. - Henkel: No Olympic or FIFA sponsorship. Focused on European football sponsorships (Bundesliga). - Reckitt Benckiser: No major global sports sponsorship.

Neither Unilever nor any other direct FMCG competitor holds a TOP Olympic partnership, giving P&G exclusive category rights across personal care and household products. Unilever's FIFA investment creates the closest competitive parallel, but the World Cup's demographics skew younger and more male than the Olympics' broader family audience that aligns with P&G's portfolio.

5.2 Olympic Sponsorship Differentiation

• Multi-brand leverage: P&G can activate 30+ brands simultaneously, creating unprecedented retail scale during Games periods
• Emotional storytelling heritage: "Thank You, Mom" established P&G as the benchmark for emotionally resonant Olympic advertising
• Olympic Village presence: Operational role providing athlete services creates authentic brand association
• Global retail network: Ability to execute Games-themed promotions across hundreds of thousands of retail outlets worldwide
• Category breadth: From baby care (Pampers) to grooming (Gillette) to laundry (Tide), P&G touches nearly every household product category

5.3 Key Brand Messaging

• "Everyday Champions" (current Paris 2024 evolution)
• Corporate brand building: making P&G visible and trusted beyond its individual brands
• Products that "give their best every day" to meet the needs of athletes, families, and fans
• Community impact through Athletes for Good program

6. KEY METRICS & BUSINESS CONTEXT

6.1 Financial Performance

• FY2025 Net Sales: $84.3 billion (flat vs. prior year; 2% organic growth offset by unfavorable FX)
• FY2024 Net Sales: $84.0 billion (2% reported growth; 4% organic growth)
• FY2025 Diluted EPS: $6.51 (8% increase vs. prior year)
• Shareholder Returns: Over $16 billion returned in FY2025 ($9.9B dividends, $6.5B share repurchases)
• Market Position: 18th most valuable company in the US by market capitalization
• Market Capitalization: ~$380 billion (February 2026)
• Stock: PG (NYSE); Dow Jones Industrial Average component

6.2 Olympic Period Performance

P&G has historically reported measurable sales lifts during Olympic periods, particularly in host markets: - The original "Thank You, Mom" campaign (2010) generated $500 million in incremental global sales - Subsequent Games have continued to deliver incremental revenue, though P&G has not broken out Olympic-specific figures in recent earnings - The shift to brand-led activations at Paris 2024 was designed to drive more direct retail sales, as opposed to corporate brand building - LA28 represents a particularly strong domestic activation opportunity, given the US market's significance to P&G (approximately 45% of net sales)

APPENDIX: KEY SOURCES

Official Sources

• IOC Official Partner Page: olympics.com/ioc/partners/proctergamble
• P&G Newsroom: news.pg.com
• P&G Investor Relations: pginvestor.com
• P&G Paris 2024 Press Kits: us.pg.com/paris2024-press-kits/
• LA28 Official Partners: la28.org/en/our-partners.html

Industry Analysis

• Fast Company: P&G Paris 2024 advertising analysis
• Marketing Week: P&G Olympic strategy reporting
• The Brand Hopper: "Thank You, Mom" case study

Financial Filings

• P&G FY2025 Annual Report
• P&G FY2024 Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results

End of Research Brief