• by Karl Greenberg , December 13, 2007

Gillette is gearing up for the next phase of the Gillette Champions spokes-athlete program it launched this year. The latest element is a sweepstakes and instant-win game dangling a private training session from legendary golf coach Hank Haney and other prizes.

The promotion, running through April 15, gives the grand-prize winner a three-day, two-night trip for two and a private golf lesson with Haney. The game includes other prizes like an MP3 player signed by Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and football (or soccer for Americans) star Thierry Henry; a set of golf clubs and a golf bag signed by Woods; a tennis racquet signed by Federer, and other Gillette Champions merchandise.

Gillette Champions program uses Woods, Federer, and Henry to tout Gillette's Fusion shaving products with advertising, sponsorship activity, events and promotions. The effort bowed the tag: "The best a man can get."

The company rolled out a TV ad featuring all three athletes during the summer. Gillettechampions.com has interviews with the three athletes, videos on the making of the ads, and interviews with the athletes and other content, as well as product info.

The company introduced the Fusion Power Phantom, which is featured in the Champions ad, in February. The new shaving system was also central to a Nascar ad push this year.

Gillette signed racer Kasey Kahne to its four-year-old "Gillette Young Guns" promotional lineup featuring Nascar drivers Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson. The racers were featured in a humorous spot for Fusion Power Phantom via BBDO, New York, which ran on Fox during this year's broadcast of the Daytona 500.

Next year, the Gillette Champions program is slated to roll out in more than 150 markets in the first year through various marketing initiatives, making this the largest current sports-marketing initiative for the brand.