BJ's and P&G 'Go Fresh' For Football Season

Procter & Gamble for the first time activated its official National Football League sponsorship at BJ’s Wholesale Club, running a sweepstakes awarding tickets to football games in the retailer’s East Coast operating region.

Consumers entered from Sept. 21 to Oct. 18 on a dedicated microsite (pgfootballsweeps.com). Three winners received a pair of tickets to either a New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, or New York Giants home game. Cincinnati, OH-based ProCamps administered.

An Oct. 7 email plugging the sweeps depicted P&G's Secret, Olay, Head & Shoulders and Old Spice with the message “go fresh or go home.” Those same brands also earned secondary merchandising space in stores during October on pallets outfitted with wraps touting the promotion as well as shelf trays with adjacent promotional signage.

In addition, the retailer held a meet-and-greet event at its Northborough, MA, club on Oct. 30 with New England Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks. P&G touted its NFL sponsorship on the retailer's event page on Facebook.

Otherwise, retailer-driven activity for the start of football season has been sparse. A Sept. 22 email plugged in-store coupons for tailgating essentials, including SKUs from PepsiCo’s Pepsi and Mountain Dew. An Oct. 15 Facebook update highlighted food items and plastic tableware from private labels Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen.

BJ’s typically reserves its football marketing efforts for the tail end of the season leading up the NFL Super Bowl.