Everyone knows that major sports games and tournaments call for some of the greatest commercials to ever be broadcast on TV. But out of the multitudes that are shown with up to millions of dollars invested in each of them, which are the advertisements that really stick with the audiences sitting on their couches and waiting for the games to come back on?
Well, during the London Olympic Games in 2012, here’s one particular ad that stood out to me above all the others:
It’s shot so cinematically and partnered so well with the piano in the background that you forget that it’s actually a commercial that you’re watching until the Proctor & Gamble logo briefly pops up at the end.
But what’s the point of the clip? It’s not like its advertising any product or a service, and it’s not like P&G just wanted to take the opportunity to show off their show-biz skills.
The answer is brand recognition. P&G’s present in so many product categories and in so many countries these days that it’s hard to tell exactly what the company is and what it stands for. So what P&G does is to convey its purpose of “touching lives in small but meaningful ways” in a way that will resonate with a vast majority of the audience of 2012’s largest sporting event — the athletes, the mothers, and everyone watching them. Through making a TV advertisement that strikes a chord with the affective component of millions of viewers around the world, P&G not only delivers its purpose, but it shapes the attitudes of viewers to see this multinational, multi-billion dollar company as one with a cherished, sensitive regard for its customers.
That ad gets me every time! As a mom, I can really relate… Thanks for giving me another excuse to watch it again. 😉
Nice post – good points. Embedded video adds interest. Wonder what the headline should be, though? 🙂
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the comment! I was struggling a bit with the title and decided to leave it off until I could think of something good — finally managed to do that. 😛
Great job integrating video clips into your post Sheida! In your opinion do companies fare better advertising during major international sports events, like the soccer world cup or the Olympics, or through national events (like the Superbowl)?
Hey Natalie 🙂 In response to your question, it’s obviously not fair for me to make a definitive statement as I am certainly not a frequent viewer of many sporting events, but what works for me personally are the ads during international leagues. The reason for this is that instead of inflating the national pride of their audiences, these advertisements demonstrate or emphasize the human bond between different nationalities and cultures. This was demonstrated in the advertisement above through the universal love that ties all mothers together, and below is the link to another example. It’s an advertisement from the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup, that emphasizes the respect and friendship that must be held through all the competition and rivalry between countries:
–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eglHiGfPpck
I guess the reason why I find these advertisements more effective is that they deal with a more relevant issue, which has to with the fact that the countries of the world are becoming increasingly tangled up through globalization and trade. Advertisements like these help bond the parties involved on a subconscious level.
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