Sep 9, 2008

Mktg - Sportsstars Vs Public

new competition will pit pro golfer Tiger Woods against everyday Joes in thumb wars. The Boston-based shaving giant Gillette said that it’s teaming up with video game maker EA Sports to launch an online gaming competition in October that will ultimately match players against real-life sports stars. Winners of the Gillette-EA Sports Champions multigaming tournament will get to duke it out with tennis star Roger Federer or New York Yankees player Derek Jeter or Woods, a longtime spokesman for both businesses.
Gillette, a unit of Cincinnati-based consumer products giant Procter & Gamble Co, said the partnership is part of its plan to expand into new global markets. The company, which has long sponsored sports such as baseball, boxing, and football and more recently added NASCAR, now is trying its hand at gaming. “We looked at some of the passions that men have and gaming is definitely one of them,” said Gillette spokesman Michael Norton.
The companies, which share a similar consumer base and target men between the ages of 18 and 34, will launch a joint marketing campaign that will reach more than 20 markets around the world through print and television advertising, as well as online marketing. “We anticipate that there will be some fierce competition taking place around the world on some of our most popular franchises,” said Peter Moore, president of EA Sports.
—NY Times / Angel Jennings

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