- OverTime, LLC was a Procter & Gamble-licensed company charged with launching a new brand and a new category - hygiene and grooming products for tween-age boys. Founded by two former P&G executives, the product had been developed in the halls of Procter and licensed to OT for launch. The PR team was brought in to handle the national launch, and the first step was to develop a set of compelling and memorable messages. The goals were to establish the category, create brand awareness and drive sales. It was very important that the sports-themed brand be properly positioned for the target demographic, the mothers of 22 million adolescent boys nationwide. The messages had to explain the problem, present the solution and position the product as a wholesome, mom-approved brand specially made for guys. During a one-day workshop, the team created three messages, including factual data and lighthearted anecdotes, that were then integrated into all media materials, marketing collateral, advertising and interviews. The problem message stated: "One day your sons go from smelling like baby powder to B.O. No one warned you and we have no idea what to do." OverTime's memorable messages broke through the noise and captured the media's attention. The messages appeared, nearly verbatim, in The New York Times on the day products hit the shelves. And in the first twelve weeks following launch, the messages appeared in 148 newspapers, 20 television stations and 200 websites reaching about 150 million Americans. The Associated Press, Bloomberg, CBS MarketWatch, Reuters, Dow Jones, Knight Ridder, Marketplace Radio and Scripps Howard News Service all carried the company's story. The messages were repeated in headlines or quotes in dozens of media markets nationwide, including 18 out of the 20 targeted areas. The coverage was usually lighthearted in tone, announced the new category, explained the problem and positioned OT as an innovative and wholesome solution to boys' hygiene and grooming.
