In an effort to build anticipation for the Summer Olympics in London—and drive support for the U.S. team—Tide unveiled its "My Flag. Our Story" project in New York on Tuesday, July 3. The promotion from the laundry detergent brand, owned by official Olympic sponsor Procter & Gamble, invited the public to view a 6,084-square-foot flag containing personal stories shared by consumers about what the colors of the American flag mean to them.
Through a custom Facebook app, as well as the designated Twitter hashtag #TideFlag, Tide culled some 1,500 responses, contributions that were printed on the fabric that makes up the oversize flag. "We thought we would create the most iconic and the most emotional representation of the red, white, and blue through a flag—and who better to tell the story of the red, white, and blue than Americans themselves?" said Sarah Pasquinucci, Tide's communications manager.
Laid out in Bryant Park the day before July 4 celebrations took over the city, the piece was formally presented at noon, when Smash star Katharine McPhee took the stage to serenade the gathered crowd with an a capella version of the national anthem. While the public was encouraged to stroll around the flag and read stories, they also had the opportunity to jot down their own stories to be printed on flags and sent to London in support of Team U.S.A. At various stations dotted around the perimeter of the park, visitors could watch a documentary about how the gigantic flag was produced, get their faces painted, or wave a miniature flag while posing for a photo in front of the larger version.
"Bringing to life consumer stories is something we're really passionate about, and the fact that people can walk around and actually see the story they submitted is pretty cool," said Pasquinucci of the social media initiative and its resulting product, which, if the stripes were laid out end to end, would be taller than the Empire State Building.
