P&G’s Pantene launches Westfield Matildas campaign via Publicis Groupe’s Herd MSL, Starcom and Publicis Sport & Entertainment

Australian haircare brand, Procter & Gamble’s Pantene, has joined forces with Football Federation Australia and the Westfield Matildas, by coming on board as an official partner. The announcement coincides with the launch this month of Pantene’s latest “Ribbon of Strength” campaign, an initiative to encourage all women to overcome their fears, find their inner strength, and actively participate in sport.

 

Pantene enlisted Publicis Sport & Entertainment as its sponsorship agency to broker the two-year deal, as the Westfield Matildas gear up for a successful Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 campaign. The campaign has launched with a powerful piece of content and research that outlines the challenges that women experience online or in real life when playing sport and how important role models like the Matildas are to inspire future sport stars.

The partnership supports Pantene’s “Ribbon of Strength” campaign, devised by Publicis Groupe agencies Herd MSL (creative and PR), and Starcom (media). The campaign, which first launched last year is in response to research carried out by the haircare brand, which uncovered that 57 percent of females stop playing sport by the age of twenty-four due to self-doubt.

Now in its second year, this year’s campaign features leading Matildas players Ellie Carpenter and Katrina Gorry and encourages women to find their inner strength, and overcome the barriers to continue to actively participate in sport.

Activity will encompass TV, online, social and print from November.

Says Jane Wecker, associate marketing director at Pantene: “The Pantene Ribbon of Strength was created in a bid to inspire the future female sports stars of Australia, and ultimately get more women and girls participating in sports, which is why Pantene is delighted to be working with the FFA and the Westfield Matildas in their ongoing efforts to increase female excellence in sport. Through our sponsorship of the Matildas, we are proud to support the FFA’s Football Your Way program, which aims to increase female participation in football nationally.”

Says Michael Rebelo, CEO, Publicis Groupe ANZ: “The power of this campaign, and Pantene’s alignment with one of the most successful female sporting teams in Australia, highlights what can be achieved through true collaboration between agencies. As a Groupe, we have the ability to provide clients with best practice, end-to-end marketing solutions. This year’s expansion of Publicis Sport & Entertainment into the Australian market means we’re in an ever stronger position to help brands optimise their return from sponsorships; while also ensuring that such partnerships are most effectively integrated into a brand’s broader marketing strategy.”