Procter & Gamble and the National Football League Join Forces, Urging Fans to 'Take it to the House'

CINCINNATI, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) and NFL legend Jerry Rice today announced the launch of "Take it to the House," the company's 2010 platform for its official National Football League (NFL) sponsorship, which began in 2009.  The program extends Procter & Gamble's "Official Locker Room Products of the NFL" campaign from 2009 and adds multiple elements designed to resonate with football fans of all levels.  "Take it to the House" in football vernacular represents a long touchdown, but also signifies the goal of bringing P&G products into the homes of football fans and consumers across the country

Six P&G brands, including Febreze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Prilosec OTC and Vicks are featured as top brands in the program and will be promoted through an integrated marketing communications plan that includes consumer engagement elements, public relations activities, a social media presence, retail executions and a charity component in support of NFL PLAY 60, which encourages kids to get 60 minutes of exercise a day. Seven other brands across a number of P&G categories will also have rights to retail initiatives.

Jerry Rice is serving as the national spokesperson for the program.  Rice is arguably one of the greatest wide receivers to play the game and is known as one of the greatest players in NFL history.  As the all-time leader in every major statistical category for wide receivers and the all-time NFL leader in touchdowns scored, Rice definitely knew how to "Take it to the House".  For the many achievements during his 19-year career, he is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 7.

"I am excited to partner with P&G for its Official NFL sponsorship activities," said Rice.  "As an expert on the subject, I can tell you P&G products definitely know how to 'Take it to the House' with their NFL sized strength and performance in every brand.  This is why they are in every NFL locker room and nearly every house in the U.S.  I am looking forward to seeing fans 'Take it to the House' throughout this upcoming NFL season."

"Take it to the House" is embodied through various communication vehicles, including an active social media presence on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TakeItToTheHouse). The page will feature exclusive content and tips for fans ranging from in-home game day preparation to fantasy football tips from the P&G Blogger Fantasy League, which is comprised of twelve top sports bloggers playing on NFL.com's new Fantasy Football platform. At the heart of the program is a photo contest that lives on Facebook and includes prizes such as "Take it to the House" at-home meet-and-greets with retired NFL legends, annual supplies of select P&G products, a series of $10,000 donations to local health and wellness organizations on behalf of NFL PLAY 60 and a grand prize trip to the 2011 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. There is also a mobile texting program that will allow fans the chance to win other great prizes throughout the season.  

"We are excited to continue our successful sponsorship with the NFL and to work with Jerry Rice, a player known for taking it to the house throughout his career.  Just like NFL's players, our brands are performance-driven and designed to 'Take it to the House' every day," said Kirk Perry, Vice President, P&G US Operations and Marketing.  "P&G's corporate mission is to touch and improve the lives of more people, more completely and this program fulfills that purpose by reaching NFL fans in a way that is relevant and meaningful to them, whether on Facebook or as part of the NFL PLAY 60 partnership."

For more information on the "Take it to the House" program and to enter the photo contest, visit www.facebook.com/TakeItToTheHouse.

About P&G (NYSE: PG)

Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 127,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

http://www.pg.com

SOURCE P&G