- Athletes for Good Fund awards more than $500,000 in grants to the charitable causes supported by Olympic and Paralympic athletes
- New “Good is Gold” film series tells the moving stories of athletes working to take action against bias and inequality
CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) today launched its Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 campaign inspired by the many Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are not only achieving athletic greatness, but are also stepping up to take action for good, making a positive difference in their communities. These athletes are the focus in the latest chapter of the company’s worldwide “Lead with Love” consumer campaign, which unites P&G’s longstanding Citizenship efforts of Community Impact, Equality & Inclusion, and Environmental Sustainability. P&G believes the Olympic Games have tremendous power to unite the world through sport; in Tokyo, and in partnership with the International Olympic Committee, P&G is celebrating athletes and their inspiring acts of good.
Supporting Athletes On and Off the Field Takes Center Stage in P&G’s Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Campaign (Photo: Business Wire)
Launched today, the short film “Love Leads to Good” celebrates the important role all parents have in raising their children to be good. It is in those quiet moments of teaching over a lifetime that develop a child into a champion – as an athlete – and as a human being. This film depicts how the choice to take action to be a good person reflects the lessons we’ve been taught by those who love us. Often these lessons lead to the moments that shine brightest – even on the Olympic stage: displays of respect and good sportsmanship, extending kindness to our rivals, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
In celebration of the athletes who show their goodness on and off the field of play, P&G also launched the film “Your Goodness is Your Greatness.” Narrated from the perspective of proud parents, the film features Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are leading with love and showing the world that the true measure of greatness is goodness. U.S. athletes in the film include six-time Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix, Track and Field; four-time World Champion Carissa Moore, Surfing; and Olympic Gold Medalist, Elena Delle Donne, Basketball.
“Over the past decade, we have been honored and humbled to tell the stories of amazing athletes and the families who have supported them on the journey to achieving their Olympic and Paralympic dreams,” said P&G Chief Brand Officer, Marc Pritchard. “When those dreams were put on hold in 2020, we were inspired as they moved beyond their own disappointment and stepped up to help others and serve their communities. By putting others above themselves and lending their time, talent, and resources to help those in need – these accomplished athletes show that their goodness is their greatness.”
“Love Leads to Good” and “Your Goodness is Your Greatness” build upon the iconic “Thank You, Mom” campaign and include a call to action to “lead with love” through acts of good. Both films will appear in full form digitally or in short form on television in more than 15 countries.“Love Leads to Good” and “Your Goodness is Your Greatness” can be viewed on P&G’s YouTube channel.
Athletes for Good Fund Recipients Announced
P&G, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Paralympic Committee are proud to announce the 52 recipients of the Athletes for Good Fund. After seeing the amazing stories of athletes doing good in their communities, P&G was inspired to take action to encourage even more positive change. Totaling more than $500,000, the Athletes for Good Fundcelebrates and fuels the work of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls who are partnering with charitable causes to help others and serve their communities in the areas of Community Impact, Equality & Inclusion, and Environmental Sustainability.
Each $10,000 grant goes to the charitable organization the athletes support, contributing to P&G’s Lead with Love consumer campaign commitment of 2,021 Acts of Good in 2021.
The Athletes for Good recipient group includes 28 Olympic athletes and hopefuls, and 24 Paralympic athletes and hopefuls, representing 20 countries, and 25 sports. In all, 11 of the recipients hail from the U.S., including:
- Melissa Stockwell, Paratriathlon: As the co-founder of Dare2Tri, Melissa helps to enhance the lives of people with physical disabilities and visual impairments through sport.
- Simone Manuel, Swimming: Works with The Conscious Kid to take action to disrupt racism in young children and promote racial identity development to youth through reading.
- Helen Maroulis, Wrestling: In partnership with When We Band Together, Helen raises awareness and funds to continue supporting refugees in Lesvos, Greece.
“I am honored to be selected as a recipient of P&G’s Athletes for Good Fund and thrilled that Dare2Tri will receive a $10,000 grant,” said Melissa Stockwell. “This grant will help us in removing barriers to sport for people with disabilities and visual impairments by empowering them to be physically active, building their confidence, and engaging with their community. With P&G’s support, we can provide valuable sports equipment like prosthetic running blades, tandem bicycles and youth handcycles.”
Shining a Spotlight on Action for Equality & Inclusion
P&G’s global Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 campaign includes a documentary-style film series co-created with the IOC entitled “Good is Gold,” which tells the moving, real-life stories of four Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls as they take action against bias and inequality. The “Good is Gold” series includes the stories of Tom Daley (Great Britain, Diving), Zeina Nassar (Germany, Boxing) and two U.S. athletes:
- Six-time Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix, Track and Field, who uses her platform to raise awareness of the risks and dangers faced by Black women during pregnancy and childbirth.
- Paralympian Scout Bassett, Track and Field, who defied the odds to become a champion and pays it forward by mentoring young athletes to push through societal barriers.
“In the past, my athletic achievements were my focus and my prize,” said Felix. “While I’m unbelievably proud of and thankful for the medals, the podiums, and the experiences, the birth of my daughter Camryn – the joy of my life – is what helped me elevate my voice to create awareness around the Black maternal mortality crisis. Because of her, and the strong female role models in my life, I choose to put those lessons into action by advocating for Black mothers everywhere.”
Consistent with long-standing commitments, several P&G brands are running Olympic Games programs that support athletes and address important topics like equality and inclusion:
- Always is helping girls stay in sports. They’re teaming up with inspirational women from around the world, including Olympic Gold Medalist Elena Delle Donne, Basketball; Olympic hopeful Mariah Duran, Skateboarding; Olympic Gold Medalist Laurie Hernandez, Gymnastics; Paralympian Scout Bassett, Track and Field; and girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai, to showcase the many ways sports can help girls build confidence, shape skills and fuel their future.
- Secret Deodorant is proud to continue its partnership with Olympic Gold Medalist Alex Morgan, Soccer. Secret is raising awareness for and inspiring others to take action around equal representation and equal compensation.
- SK-II will set up a #CHANGEDESTINY fund this year, contributing $1 for every view garnered on each SK-II STUDIO film, including one featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles, Gymnastics, in support of women in pursuing their destiny to create positive change. The total contribution to the #CHANGEDESTINY fund will be up to $500,000 and participating organizations will be announced at a later date.
In total, P&G and seven of its U.S. brands – Tide, Pantene, Olay, Venus, Always, Secret and SK-II – will partner with 15 Team USA athletes to bring their unique Olympic Games brand campaigns to life. Across the country, P&G and retailers will be partnering to support Team USA through in-store, television and digital campaigns featuring Olympic and Paralympic athletes and a wide portfolio of P&G’s trusted brands. In addition to the Team USA athletes sponsored by its various brands, P&G will also be working with Olympians Sam Mikulak, Gymnastics, Chaunté Lowe, Track and Field, and Jake Gibb, Beach Volleyball, as part of its retail activations.
Uniting to Advance Environmental Sustainability
P&G, a Worldwide Olympic Partner, is partnering with the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee on The Podium Project. Through this effort, for the first time ever, the Olympic and Paralympic medal podiums are created from recycled plastic sourced from public collection and recovered from the oceans. The design will be unveiled in June in the lead up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This project – representing meaningful innovation in sustainable design – created excitement from Japanese consumers with collection extending to schools, offices and beyond.
About P&G’s 2,021 Acts of Good in 2021
At P&G, supporting our communities, fostering equality and inclusion, and protecting the planet is embedded in how we do business. We believe we have a responsibility to help improve everyday life — through the products we create and the positive impact our brands and Company can have. Under our Lead with Love campaign, P&G and its brands have committed to 2,021 acts of good this year. In the U.S., consumers can do even more through P&G Good Everyday, a new consumer rewards program that helps turn everyday actions into acts of good. Activity on the website earns points that can be redeemed for rewards; as consumers report their own acts of good, P&G makes donations to causes consumers care about.
