Sports Media Report
Marking 100 days until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), a Worldwide Olympic Partner today unveiled “Love Over Bias,” the newest installment of its award-winning “Thank You, Mom” campaign. The film imagines what the world could be if we all saw each other through a mom’s eyes.
The critically acclaimed short films from P&G’s previous Olympic Games campaigns are among the most viewed Olympic Games videos of all time. ‘Love Over Bias’ reflects stories of real athlete challenges through their moms’ eyes, and honors the spirit of The Olympics themselves, which inspires the world to look beyond the things that divide us to celebrate the things that all people share. Because all those who have struggled with prejudices and preconceived notions have a powerful ally, one who has been by their side from the beginning, championing them against all odds…their mom.
The six vignettes featured in the film reflect the struggles with bias that real athletes encounter are as varied as the sports they compete in:
- The girl who comes from a culture where femininity is at odds with competition
- The boy who dreams of competing in a sport his hard working parents struggle to afford
- The children of different races, religions, and sexual orientations who look at the sports they love and see no one who looks like them
The film celebrates a mom’s role as her child’s first and greatest advocate, the one who sees her child’s potential regardless of how others see them. The hope is that this film will help bring people together to talk openly about bias, its role in limiting human potential and the need to see beyond the things that divide us to the common things that can bring us together. To view the short film, please visit: https://youtu.be/JSWyrR4gXkw
Athletes around the globe agree that the lifelong journey to The Olympics can be littered with obstacles that stem from biases about what an athlete looks like, prejudices about who they love or how they worship. A recent survey distributed to Olympians by the IOC on behalf of P&G found that:
- 55% felt prejudice or judgment from others growing up
- Majority (53%) responded that their mom was their strongest supporter in the face of bias
- Almost all (99%) felt that what helped them become an Olympic athlete was their moms’ believing in them
P&G has taken inspiration from athletes whose athletic journey and personal stories closely reflect the campaign:
- Gus Kenworthy – 2014 Olympic medalist and one of the first openly gay action sports athletes
- Elana Meyers Taylor – 2012 & 2014 Olympian, two time Olympic medalist who was one of the first women to pilot a mixed gender four-man bobsled and continues to defy both gender and racial stereotypes
- Michelle Kwan – 1998 & 2002 Olympian, two time Olympic medalist whose immigrant family faced economic hardships in supporting her Olympic Games dreams
- Oksana Masters – Three time Paralympic medalist and three sport Paralympian (2012, 2014, 2016) who was adopted and overcame physical disabilities at birth in order to achieve her athletic dreams to compete on the world stage
- Zahra Lari – Three time National Champion, United Arab Emirates and the first Emirati figure skater to compete internationally
“The ‘Love Over Bias’ film really hit home for me having lived through the fears and uncertainty of coming out and how I’d be judged,” said Kenworthy. “My mom’s unconditional love and support helped me rise above what others might think and gave me the courage to truly own who I am as I pursue my dreams.”
The campaign is part of a company wide effort to use the power of advertising to spark conversations about important matters such as bias. This has been a longstanding journey for P&G, which includes other campaigns that promote conversations about a broad range of topics like gender bias in Ariel Share the Load, Always Like a Girl, SK-II Marriage Market Takeover Secret’s Ladies’ Room Stress Test and We See Equal; about racial bias in The Talk and sexual orientation in Vicks Touch of Care.
“At P&G, we aspire to create a better world for everyone — a world free from bias, with equal representation, equal voices and equal opportunity,” said Marc Pritchard, P&G Chief Brand Officer. “When the world is more equal, society is better and it leads to economic growth. Unfortunately equality is limited by biases, and we recognize we can use our voice to be a force for good and shine a light on the bias that limits human potential. We hope to promote open discussion, influence attitudes, and ideally change behavior.”
“Love Over Bias” was directed by Alma Har’el, whose work includes award-winning films Bombay Beach and LoveTrue. The film, which features music by singer/songwriter MILCK, will appear in full form digitally as a 93-second video or in short form on television in more than 20 countries. P&G will also be creating and sharing additional films highlighting the personal journeys of several Olympic athletes, including Kenworthy and Meyers Taylor.
Share #LoveOverBias and go to www.LoveOverBias.com to learn more about these and other athletes.
