Procter & Gamble extends financial aid to Paralympics moms; also raising funds for Team USA

P&G extends mom aid to Paralympics

CINCINNATI — The Procter & Gamble Co. is extending its Winter Olympics “Thanks, Mom” campaign to include mothers of Paralympic athletes and to raise funds for the U.S. Olympic Team.

The Cincinnati-based consumer products company has offered to help with costs for travel to the Paralympic events that begin this weekend in Vancouver. P&G gave financial aid to more than 200 mothers of Olympics athletes in the games that ended Feb. 28, while sentimental television commercials highlighted mothers’ dedication to their athlete children.

A Team USA sponsor, the maker of Pampers diapers and Tide detergent said Tuesday it would raise up to $100,000 for athlete training through a “thankyoumom” Web site in which will give $1 to for each free online “thanks.” P&G will also promote the site with multimedia advertising.

P&G Chief Marketing Officer Marc Pritchard says the company has gotten good response from the Olympics effort. The commercials featured the tag line calling P&G the “proud sponsor of moms.”

“We want to keep it going,” he said. “The business results are just starting to come in; we’re starting to see a nice bump.”

P&G will review the results with an eye on planning for its 2012 London Summer Games sponsorship of the team, Pritchard said.

“We like the program, and we like the platform,” he said.

On the Net:

www.thankyoumom.com