P&G Dresses Up $50 Million Tide Launch

Procter & Gamble tucks in with a $50 million campaign—including a New York City pajama party and national sampling—to launch Tide with a touch of Downy.

Pillowtalk displays appear in 20,000 stores

P&G will feature pajama designer Karen Neuburger as spokesperson in promos breaking next month. P&G kicks off National Pajama month (October) on Sept. 23 with a "World's Largest Pajama Party" at The Plaza Hotel in New York. New York-area women will join Neuburger, who has hosted more than 2,000 pajama parties across the U.S. to tout her designs. Attendees relax on mattresses, get free manicures and massages and take home a pair of pajamas and Tide with a touch of Downy sample. Fleishman-Hillard, New York City, handles the party.

P&G also will distribute one million-plus samples via Internet requests and other channels. The company may pack samples of the laundry detergent with packages of Neuburger-designed pajamas sold in department stores. WhittmanHart, Chicago, handles sampling.

Distinctive "Pillowtalk" P-O-P displays will appear in 20,000 stores in Tide's traditional grocery, mass-merchandise and drugstore channels as the product hits stores in September. Displays feature small pillows with the brand name as part of shelf displays. Landor, San Francisco, handles displays.

Saatchi & Saatchi, New York City, is lead agency for the launch.

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