P&G National Championships Anyone?

It was announced today that Procter and Gamble has extended their sponsorship of USA Gymnastics through the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janiero. That also means that the national championships gets a new title sponsor.

Until today, for quite sometime, the national championships title sponsor had been VISA. "It's everywhere you want to be!" P&G has been a sponsor of USA Gymnastics for quite sometime, they have products branding the qualifier for the Nationals, the US Secret Classic.
(Yes, ladies and gentlemen, your pits are stinky and Secret is here to help you smell like roses!)

Steve Penny, USA Gymnastics President, told The Sports Exchange blog this:

“P&G is known for its integrity and quality, which are also two words to describe the competition at the P&G Gymnastics Championships,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “We have had a very successful partnership with P&G, and we look forward to partnering with them on activation and activities leading up to the Olympics in Rio.”

According the the public relations executives at P&G, it's a "strategic choice."

“Our partnership with the USA Gymnastics has successfully helped amplify our strategic choice to support the Olympics,” says Janet Fletcher, P&G Sports Marketing, Associate Marketing Director. “In addition, it showcases the important role P&G brands play in the gymnasts’ journey as they pursue their dreams on a national stage.”

Here's a fun little anecdote about my tenth grade journalism class. This was around the time that Mile High Stadium was getting a new title sponsor too. I very specifically remember my journalism teacher talking about the advertisers "buying" the stadium's name. Specifically, she mentioned how Tampax could buyout the stadium (this was an example, not reality) and it could be called "Tampax Stadium."  This never happened, of course, they were bought by Invesco and it was called "Invesco Field at Mile High". Now, it's Sports Authority Field At Mile High. But of course, the US National Championships, which is an event where nearly half the participants are under 21, having a sponsor that sells alcoholic spirits probably would not fly.

But on my previous statement, here's the kicker, Tampax is a Proctor and Gamble brand, that means the National Championships were thisclose to being the Tampax National Championships. It would be a little embarrassing for let's say John Orozco to be the Tampax National Champion. Ha.

That's enough sarcasm for one day.

The P&G National Championships will be held August 15-18 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

Source:USA Gymnastics and P&G Extend Partnership Through 2016