Dive Brief:
- P&G's Pampers brand is rolling out a campaign in support of Prematurity Awareness Month and what it calls the "Littlest Fighters," with elements including a video spot, user-generated content on social media and an out-of-home (OOH) interactive experience, per a press release. For the effort, Pampers has partnered with the nonprofit March of Dimes, which focuses on preventing birth defects and premature birth and preserving the health of mothers.
- To get consumers engaged, Pampers is encouraging people to share stories about their babies' fighting spirits on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #LittlestFighters, which will trigger a $5 donation to the March of Dimes with each share. There's also a tie-in with NBC's Today.com where people can submit a story that might be used in a broadcast of the show. Each submission will generate a $5 donation up to a $50,000 total.
- Pampers is additionally setting up an interactive experience at LA Live running from Nov. 9-11. Called "Imagine a World," its features a photo gallery by the photographer and March of Dimes Ambassador Anne Geddes, along with interactive technology stations with games and puzzles; selfie stations; DIY flower crown-making and craft stations and garden party photo booths.
Dive Insight:
Pamper's campaign is built around consumer engagement first to drive both awareness about premature birth as well as generate more donations. Brands have attached their names and products to positive causes for a long time, but the growing role of mobile and social media in consumers' lives has reshaped the way they approach these types of efforts, as the Littlest Fighters push shows.
In this case, the P&G brand is promoting its new Pampers NICU Flat Diapers product, which is catered to preemies with delicate skin or that require an alternative diaper. It's tying the campaign to its e-commerce business, offering $10 donations up to a $150,000 total for any new subscribers to the Pampers service on Amazon Prime from Nov. 11-17.
P&G last month successfully fended off a board seat bid from the activist investor Nelson Peltz, who has sharply criticized the CPG for coming up short on digital, among other things. After Peltz and his hedge fund Trian Partners published a lengthy white paper outlining their criticisms, P&G batted back, championing its e-commerce business, in particular, which it said had driven more than $3 billion in sales over the past fiscal year.
But the focus for Littlest Fighters is squarely centered on supporting March of Dimes, through the two user-generated content elements on social media and with Today. Pampers is adding an extra pop to the campaign through the multi-day interactive experience as well, bringing a more tangible, high-touch approach that fits into a broader OOH trend in marketing this year.
