CINCINNATI-Wednesday 22 July 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200722005270/en/
- In a first-of-its-kind citizenship-driven partnership, P&G and IOC pledge to take action to make progress in key areas: equality and inclusion, environmental sustainability and community impact
- Athletes for Good Fund established to grant support for athlete causes that are advancing important work against shared values
- Agreement encompasses global rights to the IPC and Paralympic Games for the first time
- At one-year-to-go mark, P&G launches new film series The Measure of Greatness, which celebrates Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls leading with love
(BUSINESS WIRE)--
As the world marks one year to go until the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,
Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) and the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) affirmed the company’s commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic
Movements, with confirmation of its Worldwide Partnership for the next
four Olympic and Paralympic Games. Building upon the success of the last
10 years of partnership and the values shared by both organisations to
improve life and create a better world, P&G and the IOC are
committing to a first-of-its-kind, citizenship-driven partnership to
advance important work in key areas – equality and inclusion,
environmental sustainability and community impact – through Los Angeles
2028. For the first time, P&G has also secured global marketing
rights to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Paralympic
Games through the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement, under which
the IOC oversees the IPC and Paralympic Games commercial programmes.
“As
a TOP Partner of the IOC for the past 10 years, we are extremely proud
of the work we’ve done together,” said P&G Chief Brand Officer, Marc
Pritchard. “As we look forward to the next decade, we recognise the
opportunity and the responsibility to use our sponsorship of the Olympic
Games for broader impact. In the spirit of the Olympic Movement, we’re
making a shared commitment through our partnership to create positive
change in the world in the areas of equality and inclusion,
environmental sustainability and community impact. We will use each of
the next four Games as a milestone to measure progress and leave a
meaningful legacy behind.”
IOC
President Thomas Bach said: “Procter & Gamble has been a true
partner to the IOC and a powerful force in supporting the ideals of the
Olympic Movement. As we mark one year to go until the Olympic Games
Tokyo 2020, we are delighted to announce that we will be “stronger
together” with P&G until 2028. Looking to the future, we have
prioritised clear purpose-led initiatives that support the IOC’s vision
of building a better world through sport.”
As
a global Partner, P&G will continue to support the Olympic and
Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, as well as the Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games Beijing 2022, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024,
the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026, and the
Olympic and Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
Athletes for Good Fund
In
line with the IOC’s mission of supporting athletes and putting them at
the heart of the Olympic Movement, as part of P&G’s next chapter of
Olympic and Paralympic partnership, the company will launch the Athletes for Good Fund,
a joint initiative between P&G, the IOC and the IPC that will issue
grants to the causes that Olympic and Paralympic Games athletes and
hopefuls are supporting to advance important work against shared core
citizenship values. The Athletes for Good Fund will award a total of 52
grants over the course of the next year through an application process
on the IOC’s Athlete365 platform—representing one for every week leading
up to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Olympic and
Paralympic athletes and hopefuls who are working with organisations
that are building and serving their communities in the areas of
community impact (COVID-19 relief), equality and inclusion, and
environmental sustainability are eligible to apply.
The Measure of Greatness
In
celebration of the one-year-to-go mark, and for the athletes facing an
extended road to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, P&G has honoured all
existing athlete partnerships, extending many through 2021. Through a
digital video series entitled The Measure of Greatness P&G
will also highlight the stories of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and
hopefuls from around the world who are stepping up to take meaningful
action to serve their communities in 2020.
Pritchard
continued: “While the world around us may have changed in the last few
months, our purpose as an Olympic Games sponsor has not. We’ve always
celebrated the journey athletes take on the road to their Olympic dreams
and acknowledged the many people who supported them along the way. As
part of this new journey to Tokyo, we know that the one-year-to-go
moment will take on a new meaning for athletes, their families and fans
alike. We remain steadfast in our support for athletes and we are
honoured to elevate the stories of exceptional Olympic and Paralympic
athletes and hopefuls who have stepped up to lead their communities in
2020 – not through their athletic performances, but through their
compassion, their humanity, and their love.”
Shining
a light on Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls who have
demonstrated what it means to inspire on and off the field of play, The Measure of Greatness tells
the uplifting stories of athletes who have used this moment to step up
to a different stage in service to others. From fighting on the front
lines in the medical field against the COVID-19 pandemic, to lifting
their voices for racial equality, to using their resources to direct
medical equipment and food to those most in need, these athletes
epitomise how people can lead with love during challenging times.
The Measure of Greatness digital film tells the inspiring athlete stories of the following Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls:
- Kim Daybell, Great Britain, Paralympic Table Tennis: Kim was due to start training full time to prepare for Tokyo but instead returned to work full time as a medical SHO (senior house officer) managing COVID-19 patients in a London hospital. He has been working 40-60 hours each week in the hospital, while still staying mentally and physically fit for his continued journey on the road to Tokyo 2020.
- Simone Manuel, United States, Swimming: As the first Black woman to win an individual medal in Olympic swimming, Simone is an outspoken advocate for challenging racial stereotypes in competitive swimming and has consistently used her platform to educate her followers on how to be actively anti-racist, amplify Black voices and to encourage all people to dream big and beyond stereotypes. Since the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Simone has also used her platform to support organizations that connect the food insecure with much-needed meals.
- Kento Momota, Japan, Badminton: Momota-san donated 10 per cent of his prize money from his 2019 tournament winnings (USD 50,000) to the Tokyo Medical Association in support of COVID-19 relief efforts and helped in the donation of 200,000 masks to students and medical staff in Japan. He has also dedicated his time to mentoring youth badminton players, offering encouragement and motivation as they navigate this time away from sport.
- Pamphinette (Pam) Buisa, Canada, Rugby: Pam co-organised a peace rally for Black lives in Victoria, Canada, and is a prominent voice in the Canadian athletic community, encouraging others to engage in anti-racist work and equitable reconciliation. Additionally, Pam has joined forces with several women in her community to establish and fundraise for a COVID-19 relief fund for people in need on Vancouver Island.
“While
the rescheduling of the Olympic Games was disappointing for me, I
immediately realized that there were more important things that needed
to be done to help our community, our country and our world. I knew I
had an important opportunity to use my voice and my resources to offer
support to my community during this unprecedented time,” said Simone
Manuel. “Additionally, it has been incredible to witness and participate
in a pivotal moment in history where we are collectively fighting for
equality for all.”
The Measure of Greatness can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/ZciNNbgXSIA
As
part of the partnership, P&G will lend its expertise and thought
leadership to the IOC on how to grow, accelerate and bring innovation to
the IOC’s digital capabilities, products and assets. This effort
supports the IOC’s strategy to engage people with the Olympic brand and
maintain long-term relevance both during and outside of Games time.
Jiri
Kejval, IOC Marketing Commission Chair, said: “This extension to our
agreement with P&G is another clear sign of the enduring appeal of
the Worldwide Olympic Partner programme, as well as the commitment of
our Partners to support and promote the Olympic values globally. By
redistributing 90% of the revenues it generates, the IOC is able to
support sport and athletes globally, all year round.”
About Procter & Gamble
P&G
serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios
of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®,
Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®,
Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®,
Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks® and Whisper®. The P&G
community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide.
Please visit https://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
About the International Olympic Committee
The
International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent
international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to
building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per
cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that
every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes
and sports organisations at all levels around the world.
Contacts
P&G U.S. Communications
Jeannie Tharrington
Tharrington.jm@pg.com
