Procter & Gamble?s Braun is leveraging mobile and social photo-sharing to support the sponsorship of American short track speed skater J.R. Celski during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The CPG brand is using a combination of social media and a mobile application for the Olympics-themed ?Cool Under Pressure? campaign to promote a sponsorship of the 2014 Olympics. Additionally, the initiative promotes Braun?s CoolTec shaver.

?The Snaps app allows consumers to superimpose themselves into an image of J.R. at the skating start line,? said Brian Messerschmitt, North American brand manager at Braun, Cincinnati, OH.

?This program is mobile-optimized and provides instant sharing of ?good luck? messages for J.R. on behalf of Braun,? he said.

?The goal of the program is to provide fans with a fun way to get involved with J.R.?s Olympic journey, while also introducing them to the Braun brand.?

Showing mobile support
To participate in the campaign, consumers first have to download the Snaps mobile app for free on iPhone or Android devices.

Braun?s campaign is located within the app?s ?discover? tab.

Consumers can then click through and access the campaign?s landing page, which pulls in a series of photos tagged with the hashtag #CoolUnderPressure.

Users can then snap a photo posing next to Mr. Celski and decorate the picture with branded decals such as a gold metal that has P&G?s logo printed on it.

Consumers can resize the decals and spin them across the photo.

The bottom of the photo includes the campaign?s hashtag and the Braun and P&G logos.

The photo is automatically added to the Snap app and can also be shared via Twitter, email, Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter.

Once the Olympics are over, Braun will select some of the best photos to be included in a photo album on Facebook. Additionally, the consumers with winning photos will receive a free CoolTec shaver.

The CPG brand is also promoting the campaign via its Facebook and Twitter pages. A link to the Snaps mobile app will pushed out within links on these social platforms.

Mobile-photo opportunities grow
The idea behind Braun?s campaign is to leverage the sponsorship of Ms. Celski with mobile and social to connect with U.S. consumers who cannot attend the Olympics but are still following the games.

What is interesting about Braun?s use of mobile and social is how the brand plans to incorporate the photos from the campaign into further initiatives. 

Over the past year, brands have used mobile photo-sharing in several different ways to increase engagement.

For example, Kate Spade also ran a campaign within the Snaps app last year to introduce a new collection (see story).

Similarly, Juicy Couture used the app for a promotion earlier this year to play up selfies (see story). 

?It?s rare to find a consumer without a mobile device in their hands today,? Mr. Messerschmitt said.

?With more and more people using their devices as a source of anywhere/anytime entertainment and retail, the program allows Braun to engage consumers with ? and drive traffic to ? the brand?s social media pages, while also raising awareness of Braun?s many grooming product offerings,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York