Olympians say thank you to their moms in touching new ad campaign

Behind every Olympic athlete is the loving support of a dedicated parent.

That's the premise of the latest ad campaign from consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, which celebrates the role mothers played in the careers of several of the Olympics stars it sponsors.

Released just in time for Mother's Day, the campaign's leadoff commercial travels back in time with a handful of Olympic athletes (played by actors) as their mind wanders back to flashes of childhood adversity in the moments just before a big event.

In each memory, the athlete's mom was there to protect them -- a gymnast's mom pulls her inside as a tornado approaches, a diver's mom is there for her son in moments of doubt after a grueling practice and a volleyball player looks to her mom for reassurance after a car accident. 

The new ad is the latest installment in a popular mom-themed campaign that P&G -- a longtime Olympic sponsor -- first started airing in 2007. At the two most recent Olympic Games, the ads have become viral hits in the months leading up to the event.

The Olympics is one of the rare occasions that P&G -- the parent company of many well-known household brands like Bounty, Pampers and Gillette -- actually advertises in its own name. The company spends around $9 billion on ads every year but the vast majority goes to its many consumer brands.

But because the Olympics offers the valuable opportunity to reach millions of people worldwide at the same time, it's too big for just one brand, says P&G's global marketing officer, Marc Pritchard.

"It's the most-watched sports event worldwide so there's a lot of eyeballs watching the Olympics," Pritchard told Mashable. "It's a little like the Super Bowl. People are into it and they expect high quality."

Within that larger campaign, athletes on P&G's payroll have been designated to represent campaigns for some of its biggest individual brands.

For instance, American track and field runner Allyson Felix and her mom Marlean will play the leading role in a campaign for Bounty.

"Being approached by a company with such a great reputation, it just made sense -- it was kind of a no-brainer for me," Felix said. "And of course, my mom means everything to me." 

While the mother-child relationships in the commercial were recreated by actors, the Olympians involved in the campaign say the bond of support it showcases hits close to home for them. 

"Every single meet since I was maybe nine or ten, she's always sat me down before the meets and gives me her usual mom pep-talk," says 19-year-old American gymnast Simone Biles, who is signed on to represent Tide Pods. "She's never really pushed me in the gym -- it's always up to me -- but she's always been there to support me."

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