Gillette Names Title Sponsor of Home Run Derby
GILLETTE NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF HOME RUN DERBY
Popular Summer Showcase to Be Held Monday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET, Live on ESPN
Event Has Raised More than $3 Million for Charity
Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and Gillette®, the worlds leader in mens grooming (NYSE: PG), today announced that Gillette as it celebrates its record 75th anniversary as an MLB sponsor will be the title sponsor of the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby. The 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby will be held Monday, July 14 at Target Field in Minneapolis, home of the Minnesota Twins, and televised live on ESPN beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT.
Gillette has been an MLB sponsor since the 1939 World Series, the longest such relationship in North American professional sports. Gillette ads featuring MLB players date back more than 100 years, to at least 1910. MLB players endorsing Gillette over the years include Honus Wagner, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter.
The Gillette Home Run Derby will once again raise funds for Major League Baseballs Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and charities including Boys & Girls Clubs of America. More than $3 million has been raised over the past ten years, with an all-time high of $615,000 donated through the 2012 event. The popular summer showcase event has grown in recent years through multiple innovations. Since 2011, players have been able to use social media on the field during the event to increase fan engagement. This will also mark the fourth consecutive year featuring captains for the American League and National League squads, who will select the other participants and personally invite them. The captains for this years event, as well as other details, will be announced in the coming weeks. Yoenis Céspedes of the Oakland Athletics won the 2013 event in New York.
Gillette has partnered with Major League Baseball longer than any other company, and the Gillette Home Run Derby is a terrific way to celebrate our 75th anniversary of working together, said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. With outstanding performances, the successful introduction of players engaging in social media during the event and integration of captains from each league in previous years, the Derby continues to be fresh, entertaining and one of the most popular events on the sports calendar.
The event coincides with the launch of Gillettes newest razor, the Fusion ProGlide with FlexBall Technology. Gillette will conduct Gillette Home Run Derby promotions, advertising during the telecast and have a presence around the Twin Cities.
Whether youre standing at the plate waiting to crush the ball or in front of the mirror prepping for an optimal shave, we understand that maximum contact is very important when performing your best, said Hooman Shahidi, senior brand manager of Gillette North America. Thats why were excited to partner with Major League Baseball during the Home Run Derby to promote our new Gillette Fusion ProGlide with FlexBall Technology, which features a new dimension of movement to better meet a mans face, resulting in maximum contact and fewer missed hairs.
In addition to coverage on ESPN, the 2014 Gillette Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN and ESPN Radio in the U.S. as well as ESPN International beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT on Monday, July 14th. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.
About Gillette
For over 110 years, Gillette has delivered precision technology and unrivaled product performance improving the lives of over 800 million men around the world. From shaving and body grooming, to skin care and sweat protection, Gillette offers a wide variety of products including razors, shave prep (gels, foams and creams), skin care, after shaves, antiperspirants, deodorants and body wash. For more information and the latest news on Gillette, visit http://www.gillette.com/. To see our full selection of products, visit http://www.gillette.com/en/us/shop-now.aspx.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, Wella® and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
About Major League Baseball Properties
The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Clubs agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rights holders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.
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Contact: Matt Bourne or Jeff Heckelman, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878, @MLB_PR
Chris Smith, for Gillette, (212) 796-9814, chris.smith@ketchum.com