the

Who

Sta-Soft by Colgate-Palmolive is a popular South African fabric softener brand known for its powerful softening effects and luxurious fragrance.

the (hypothetical)

What

Colgate-Palmolive is bringing Sta-Soft to the U.S. market in 2025.

Its goal is to raise brand awareness among a diverse audience, including Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, and reach 5% market share in the first 18 months.

the

How

This campaign will revive Ogilvy's Sta-Soft "Tough Guys" campaign by featuring iconic NFL linemen—who are softened emotionally, juxtaposed with soft fabrics and accessories, showing how Sta-Soft can soften even the toughest players. It blends ethos (authority of NFL players) and pathos (fans' emotional ties) to engage a broad U.S. audience.

the

Why

‍

• The NFL is widely popular in the U.S. 72% of Americans say they are football fans, 75% watch the Superbowl. That's over 20 million more than the voter turnout in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election (66%).
• NFL Fans say that linemen (offensive, defensive, tight-end) are the toughest players in the NFL.
• Modern textiles are often pre-softened, making fabric softener less necessary; this means a strategy that appeals to authority (ethos) or (pathos) emotion will be more effective than a strategy that appeals to reason (logos).

‍