P&G extends Olympic sponsorship to 10 athletes

CINCINNATI Procter & Gamble has extended its series of U.S. Olympic Team athlete marketing alliances to include an additional 10 athletes, the company announced on Thursday.

The marketing alliances will extend through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and comes on the heels of a September 2009 sponsorship announcement of six U.S. Olympians.

"The addition of these world-class athletes to our current roster further accentuates our commitment to Team USA and the USOC partnership," stated Kirk Perry, VP North America for P&G. "We are so proud to be affiliated with athletes who are achieving their personal best, while P&G products help them and people around the world achieve their personal best every day."

U.S. Olympians recently included in the partnership are:

• Rockne Brubaker: U.S. National Champion, pairs skating
• JR Celski: World Champion, short track speedskating
• Julie Chu: ­World Champion, hockey
• Sasha Cohen: ­U.S. National Champion, Olympic silver medalist, figure skating
• Chad Hedrick: ­Olympic gold medalist, long track speedskating
• Nicole Joraanstad: U.S. National Champion, curling
• Julia Mancuso:­ Olympic gold medalist, alpine skiing
• Keauna McLaughlin: U.S. National Champion, pairs skating
• Noelle Pikus-Pace:­ FIBT World Champion, skeleton
• Seth Wescott:­ Olympic gold medalist, snowboarding (boardercross)

Brubaker, Celski, Chu, Joraanstad, Mancuso, McLaughlin and Wescott are affiliated with Crest; Cohen is affiliated with Pepto; and Hedrick and Pikus-Pace are affiliated with Pampers.

Previously signed athletes include:

• Allison Baver:­ U.S. National Champion, short track speedskating
• Tanith Belbin: Olympic silver medalist, ice dancing
• Vonetta Flowers: Olympic gold medalist, bobsled
• Lindsey Jacobellis: Olympic silver medalist, snowboarding (boardercross
• Apolo Ohno:­ Five-time Olympic medalist, short track speedskating
• Lindsey Vonn: Two-time World Champion, alpine skiing

The athletes will be fully integrated across numerous marketing channels, including advertising, public relations, in-store merchandising, mobile, digital and direct mail. The integration supports the P&G 17-brand marketing partnership with the United States Olympic Committee, across five USOC sponsorship categories for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2012 Olympic Games.