During the 24 October NFL game between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots, a Gillette marketing stunt saw the Gillette Stadium temporary rebranded the GilletteLabs Stadium for the league’s first live broadcast mixed-reality commercial promoting the P&G brand’s GilletteLabs line of heatable razors (which range from $150 to $170) and feature exfoliating bar blades.
Prior to kick-off, the new, premium razor was built in 3D projection out on the pitch in real time in front of fans in the stadium and at-home TV viewers watching ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’ broadcast – thus merging virtual and in-person. The marketing stunt kicked off when Patriots team mascot ‘Pat the Patriot’ flipped a giant switch which lit up the ground in the brand’s signature neon-green colour.
The resulting commercial layered in an interactive element to provide the impression of a live show to promote the grooming brand’s latest high-tech product in a high-tech way. Plus, the marketing initiative previewed future renovations coming to Gillette Stadium.
The resulting ‘GilletteLabs Stadium: Monday Night Football Mixed Reality Stadium Transformation’ spot also rolled out across the brand’s digital and social channels from 25 October.
The stunt was supported by additional social media content (including a ‘behind-the-scenes’ spot) and a nationwide PR push.
The effort was developed with The Kraft Group: a group of privately held companies (owned largely by the Patriots ownership group) in the professional sports, manufacturing, distribution, construction, private equity, venture investing, sustainability, philanthropy and sports and event management doing business in 90 countries.
“[The mixed reality commercial] is a way for us to showcase how GilletteLabs is truly at the forefront of innovation and technology for men’s grooming, not only with our products, but also with our marketing efforts,” said VP of Grooming at Gillette North America John Claughton.
The football stunt builds on P&G’s ongoing, multichannel #TeamSmooth v #TeamStyled campaign and also dovetails with the brand’s other current NFL and football ambassador linked advertising initiatives.
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This GilletteLabs tech-led marketing push reflects P&G’s tactics to address a growing interest in premium grooming category (despite current inflationary and economic concerns) and also is one small part of the brand’s response to increasing shaving competition from the likes of Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s.
GilletteLabs is the company’s innovation hub positioned at the forefront of men’s grooming innovation and technology and this initiative ensures that the new tech product is promoted by new-tech marketing.
As consumer return to mass events in the real, physical world, in-person brand activations are returning to the marketing mix and this mixed-reality play from Gillette is another example of the trend.
In Spring 2022, NHL partner Chipotle also ran a mixed-reality ad with the Colorado Avalanche. Displayed on the Jumbotron, the spot depicted a Chipotle-branded Zamboni bringing a huge burrito bowl out onto the ice.
It was back in December 2003 that Gillette expanded its previous Patriots partnership to become the naming rights partner of the team’s stadium: which changed its name from CMGI Field to Gillette Stadium in a 15-year deal for the Boston-based company which included an extensive sponsorship and promotional rights package.
This tie-up, which emerged on the local ties between the Boston-based company and team, dovetails with parent company P&G official NFL sponsorship which was originally signed back in 2009 and extended in 2019 and we which has seen P&G gradually add more of its brands to the deal: including Duracell, Febreze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Secret, Tide and Vicks.
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