Let The Games Begin!

The 2012 Olympic Games begin today and more than one billion people are expected to watch the official opening ceremonies tonight. But executives at companies like P&G and Universal will be watching more than the pomp and circumstance.

Universal said it has secured $1 billion in US TV and digital advertising for the 2012 games, andP&G, as one of the 11 worldwide sponsors, has invested heavily in the epic athletic event.

P&G’s sponsorship numbers aren’t readily public, however Marc Pritchard, P&G’s global brand building officer, told Reuters he expects the Olympic sponsorship to generate $500 million in additional sales for the CPG firm.

According to Reuters, the global sponsors pay approximately $100 million each for worldwide marketing rights over a four-year cycle, which covers winter and summer Olympic games.


Dow is also a worldwide sponsor for the London Olympics.

P&G has created a deep roster of Olympic-specific advertising spots for TV and social/digital media, and its presence in London is tangible. For example, it has opened the P&G US Family Home in the city, in which it will help keep moms connected with their athletes and families until the games conclude.

P&G hosted its first Family Home at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

The P&G U.S. Family Home in London will offer services from P&G’s portfolio of industry-leading brands such as Pantene, Crest, Duracell and Head & Shoulders. Brands likeCoverGirl, Olay and Gillettewill offer amenities to guests, and complimentary laundry service is being provided by Tide and Downy.

The Family Home is an extension of P&G’s “Thank you, Mom” gift, which also included a $1,000 Visa reward card to every mom of a US Olympian and Paralympian to help offset travel costs to watch their kids compete.

In addition, P&G surprised more than 60 moms with tickets to the opening ceremonies.

The Thank You Mom campaign is the largest in P&G’s 175-year history and is “brought to life” in four million stores around the world, according to P&G.