Procter & Gamble secures Worldwide Paralympic rights from 2021

As part of an extended eight-year agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Procter and Gamble (P&G) has secured marketing rights for the first-time to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Paralympic Games from 1 January 2021.

Building upon the success of the last 10 years of partnership with the IOC, P&G through this new agreement with the IOC and IPC 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.

“As we look forward to the next decade, we recognise the opportunity and the responsibility to use our sponsorship of the Olympic and Paralympic Games for broader impact,” said P&G Chief Brand Officer, Marc Pritchard. “In the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, 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.”

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “We are extremely excited that P&G has secured marketing rights to the IPC and Paralympic Games for the very first time. This new partnership is a direct consequence of the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement and will help communicate the transformational impact of the Paralympic Movement to a whole new audience.

“There is great synergy between our vision to make for an inclusive world through Para sport and P&G’s commitment to create positive change in the world in areas such as equality and inclusion and we are looking forward to working together in the years to come.”

As a Worldwide Paralympic Partner, P&G will support the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Athletes for Good Fund

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 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 to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, P&G through a digital video series entitled The Measure of Greatness will 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 and Paralympic Games sponsor has not. We’ve always celebrated the journey athletes take on the road to their Games 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 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 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.