As part of its Rely on Copper to Go for the Gold Olympic Games program, Duracell, a Procter & Gamble (P&G) brand, unveiled today an exclusive and original song, "Champions," by recording artists O.A.R. and B.o.B. "Champions" is available as a free download to all of Team USA and consumers on Duracell's Facebook page, where they can also view the official music video starring the artists and Duracell's partner athletes - Dwight Howard (basketball), Hunter Kemper (triathlon), Diana Lopez and Mark Lopez (taekwondo).

Multi-platinum artist B.o.B records

Multi-platinum artist B.o.B records "Champions." Duracell teamed up with O.A.R. and B.o.B to create a song, "Champions," for Team USA. Watch the music video and download the free song at www.facebook.com/duracell. (Photo: Business Wire)

Duracell's Rely on Copper to Go for the Gold gives consumers a portal to provide encouragement for the athletes through videos, pictures and texts as they train and compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the infancy of this program, Duracell had the chance to speak with many elite U.S. athletes about how batteries and power play a role in their training and everyday life. One consistency rang true - music.

"Whether in MP3 players, wireless headphones or docking stations, batteries power the music that motivates and inspires these athletes," said Volker Kuhn, general manager for Duracell North America. "We thought if we could not only power their music devices, but also create a song for them that would hopefully inspire their road to London, then that would be the ultimate gift."

The partnership with O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) and B.o.B (Bobby Ray Simmons) brought the idea to life via a unique collaboration that came about to support Team USA. Both artists had the chance to spend some time with Duracell's partner athletes and learn about what inspires them and how they train.

"Music has the ability to inspire, to motivate, to unite and to be the soundtrack to life's greatest memories and accomplishments," said Marc Roberge, lead singer for O.A.R. "It's our hope that 'Champions' will play some small role in inspiring these athletes, because we are certainly awed by their drive and dedication for greatness."

Discussing the inspiration for the song, B.o.B. said, "For me, 'Champions' expresses the passion of these athletes. It's about being faced with obstacles that seem impossible to conquer and then going into beast mode. It's about digging deep and no matter what the circumstance, finding the power from within."

Duracell, B.o.B and O.A.R. are inviting consumers to help power Team USA by submitting their messages to the Duracell Virtual Stadium. Beginning today, messages submitted to the Virtual Stadium will have the chance to be included in the fan-powered version of the "Champions" music video, which will be shared with Team USA before they head to London.

As a member of the P&G Family, Duracell is also supporting P&G's "Thank You, Mom" campaign, which recognizes arguably the biggest fan in an Olympian's life - Mom. While Duracell sends Team USA off with a fan-powered version of "Champions," P&G will help ensure their moms are there to help power their children for one of the biggest stages of their lives. P&G will help offset travel costs to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the more than 800 moms of U.S. Olympians and Paralympians. To learn more about the "Thank You, Mom" campaign, go to http://www.facebook.com/thankyoumom.

Duracell Virtual Stadium

As the centerpiece of the Rely on Copper to Go for the Gold program, Duracell's online Virtual Stadium will offer consumers the unique opportunity to experience the road to the Games through the eyes of world class athletes, and in turn, send them the power of encouragement and inspiration through video, text and photo messages. Additionally, by submitting motivational messages to the Duracell Virtual Stadium, consumers have the chance to win a trip to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games or a $500 Visa® gift card.1 Consumers and athletes can access the Virtual Stadium via Facebook (Facebook.com/Duracell) and a free mobile application. Consumers can also participate via Twitter by using the hashtag, #GivePower, and letting @Duracell know who they are supporting.

Duracell Power Athletes

The Duracell roster of athletes will bolster the Rely on Copper to Go for the Gold program through their support at events, social media activations and ongoing fan engagement.

  • Dwight Howard: Arguably one of the most dominant and charismatic forces in professional basketball, Howard has an arsenal of accolades for his powerful game including an Olympic Games Gold medal, four All-NBA First Team selections, six NBA All-Star appearances and three consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.
  • Summer Sanders: An Olympic Games Gold medalist and mother, Sanders will serve as the brand's Copper Correspondent for the duration of the program, rallying fans behind Team USA and providing insight and regular updates as the Duracell athletes train for the gold. Sanders understands firsthand the power of fan support to motivate and inspire, as it helped lead her to the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games in which she emerged as the most decorated U.S. swimmer, winning four medals - two gold, a silver and a bronze.
  • Hunter Kemper: A highly-decorated triathlete and father, Kemper recently experienced the strength of fan support as he persevered through injury to now be training for his fourth Olympic Games. Kemper has twice been named the United States Olympic Committee's (USOC) Triathlete of the Year, and in 2005 was named the USOC Male Sportsman of the Year.
  • Mark and Diana Lopez: The youngest members of the "first family of Taekwondo," the Lopez siblings know the importance of support from those around them. Since a young age, they have trained at their family's facility in Houston and competed at the national and global level. In 2008, their family made Olympic Games history by becoming the first to have three siblings competing on the same U.S. Olympic Team since 1904. Both Mark and Diana hold a world championship title, and a silver and bronze Olympic Games medal, respectively.

To learn more about Duracell's Rely on Copper to Go for the Gold program and to support Team USA, visit Duracell's Facebook page (Facebook.com/Duracell).

About Duracell

Part of the Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE:PG], Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in lighting, renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits. Visit www.duracell.com for more information, follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell, and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.4 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, Ambi Pur®, SK-II®, and Vicks®. The P&G community includes operations in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

1 Only video submissions are eligible for the Grand Prize trip to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. All submissions (video, photo and message) are eligible to win one of the available $500 Visa® gift cards.

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Duracell
Kurt Iverson, 203-796-4669
iverson.k@pg.com
or
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