WNBA Women's National Basketball Association

WNBA and P&G expand partnership

May 17, 2004 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


NEW YORK, MAY 17, 2004 – In a move that takes advantage of the excitement surrounding the start of the Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) eighth season, The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: P&G) will expand its wide-ranging marketing partnership with the WNBA to include the Tampax brand. The multi-year deal, which is designed to provide both companies with a unique opportunity to leverage the other's connection to women and families, now includes 10 P&G brands.

The 2004 WNBA season, which tips off on Thursday, May 20th, has received an unprecedented level of attention from fans and media alike. With new-comers like three-time NCAA National Champion Diana Taurasi, AP Player of Year and Duke all-time leading scorer Alana Beard, super-star veterans like Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes and the 2004 Summer Games, the WNBA is poised to harness that momentum and continue to connect with its already avid base of loyal fans.

"Our partnership with the WNBA provides us with a tremendous opportunity to connect with female consumers in a meaningful way," says Julie Eddleman, P&G, North America Market Development Organization. "The 2004 season looks incredibly promising with the potential for even greater fan involvement. We want our brands to play a key role in enhancing the interactions among these female fans and reaching them across multiple touch points."

"The expanded partnership with P&G allows the WNBA and its players to reach consumers directly through inclusion in existing P&G grassroots programs like the Pantene Relaxed and Natural Total You Tour and the Ebony Black Family Reunion," said Mary Reiling Spencer, WNBA Vice President, Marketing Partnerships. "In addition, together we plan to implement a number of in-arena programs that we know will resonate with our fans."

This alliance includes advertising, cross-promotional activities and specific WNBA team sponsorships. P&G will have a major presence on national WNBA telecasts on ABC, ESPN2, Oxygen, and NBA TV through advertising and in-game enhancements.

P&G partnership activities this year will include:

· Cascade "Dish & Assist" Award
· Herbal Essences Halftime Report
· Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award presented by Secret
· Defensive Player of the Year presented by Tampax

About the WNBA

The WNBA's 2004 regular season begins with 12 games over four days (May 20-23), and includes ABC's season-opening broadcast on May 22 at 4 p.m. ET as the Connecticut Sun hosts the Phoenix Mercury. The season begins on the heels of the most-watched WNBA Draft broadcast ever to air on ESPN, which featured the deepest draft class in WNBA history. For more information on the WNBA, visit, WNBA.com.

About Procter & Gamble

Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the largest and strongest portfolios of trusted, quality brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Bounty®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Actonel®, Olay® and Clairol Nice ‘n Easy®. The P&G community consists of nearly 98,000 employees working in almost 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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