J&J Family Spot Kicks-Off New MLS Soccer Strategy

To celebrate a new MLS tie-up that sits at the heart of its fresh US soccer sponsorship strategy, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has launched a family-focused football campaign led by a new TV spot with messages about dreams, support, teamwork and unity.

The concept of ‘family’ is a the central pillar of the J&J brand – it is even called ‘The Johnson & Johnson Family Of Companies – and this commercial continues that approach with copy reading:

‘Family – It’s what picks you up whenever you fall down. It’s what pushes you to follow your dreams, and provides the support to reach your goals. Together – as a team – we cheer for one another, we provide encouragement to aim higher, and we inspire every member to go further.’

The campaign comes as J&J’s consumer division signs a new, multi-year MLS agreement at the start of the 2015 season to become the Official Healthcare Sponsor of MLS.

In addition to TV ads, the agreement also includes on-site events and stadium signs (this began with a Band-Aid banner at the game between FC Dallas and the Philadelphia Union) and will integrate the official partnerships into existing marketing plans across traditional advertising, retail (in-store and on-pack), plus grass-roots work, PR and digital activation.

The partnership stretches across a set of key J&J consumer brands, including Band-Aid, Bengay and Neutrogena, Neosporin and Aveeno.

It is clearly soccer’s family-friendly nature and its growing millennials fan base that are the key assets of the offering for J&J.

‘It’s a great way for us to recognize the changing taste and demographics of today’s American family,’ said Mike Marquis, general manager of J&J Consumer.

‘We’re talking through this partnership with the Hispanic mom, the millennial mom and recognizing that soccer is playing a huge part in their families’ lives. We are proud to support the great family sport of soccer.’

‘By partnering with the fastest growing sport in America, we are opening up many new opportunities and channels for our family of brands to connect with a large, passionate and diverse group of consumers,’ he adds.

By adding yet another major global brand to its partnership portfolio there are benefits for the MLDS that stretch beyond just money.

‘J&J provide unique opportunities for MLS and US Soccer’, argues Gary Stevenson, president and managing director of MLS Business Ventures.

‘They can deliver the MLS and US Soccer message into grocery stores, into drug stores, and homes that quite frankly we can’t get into,’ adds Stevenson.

Comment

So now the sponsorship world knows what Johnson & Johnson’s post World Cup and post FIFA exit strategy is.

J&J was one of the eight second-tier Brazil 2014 World Cup sponsors, but in January it chose not to renew the agreement.

Clearly that was less about its belief in engaging through the sport and more about its belief that MLS and other US soccer properties offered more appropriate, positive and economic partnerships than FIFA.

The MLS deal may well be the J&J consumer subsidiary’s only official partnership with one of the major US sports leagues, but obviously this partnership aligns neatly with the brand’s existing sponsorships with the USA men’s, women’s and youth national teams.

Thus J&J’s commitment to soccer in United States now includes sponsorships of:

United States Soccer Federation
US Soccer Men’s National Team
US Soccer Women’s National Team
US Soccer Youth National Teams
Major League Soccer

With its emphasis on ‘family support’, this multi-tiered sponsorship activation dovetails with J&J’s umbrella corporate missions ‘to care for the world, one person at a time’.

The work sits on the company’s YouTube channel along with an array of other brand video all spotlighting the people, stories and causes that ‘inspire us to care’.

This marks the third major agreement for the league in the last month.

Following a tie-up with Audi that saw the premium German car marquee become the official automotive partner of MLS and Mondelez International Inc (the company behind the Oreo, Ritz, Trident and Honey Maid brands) become the official snacks of MLS.

These add to other recent new global brand MLS partnerships – such as its recent deal with brewer Heineken.

The recent expansion of the MLS sponsorship portfolio coincides with its growth.

MLS debuted two new teams this year to bring the total to 20 in its 20th season, and last year quintupled the value of its television contracts, signing eight-year deals with Fox, ESPN and Univision worth $90 million annually.

Marquis and Stevenson used the word “momentum” to describe soccer’s evolution in America.

‘We have new stars, new teams, new stadiums, a new logo in our 20th season, new television contracts and new corporate contracts,’ Stevenson said.

‘You put all of that in a blender and you have a lot of momentum and energy around the sport.’

Links

J&J YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c…

J&J Google Plus:

http://plus.google.com/+JNJ

J&J Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/jnj

J&J Cares Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/jnjcares