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Amgen Tour of California

GOALS

Leverage Amgen’s title sponsorship of the largest men’s professional cycling race in U.S. to increase awareness and understanding of the Amgen brand, demonstrate Amgen’s leadership in patient support (oncology), communicate proper use of Amgen’s medicines, and promote a healthy lifestyle.

OUR CAMPAIGN (2006 – 2008)

  • FH leveraged Amgen’s title sponsorship of the Tour of California by creating the “Breakaway from Cancer” integrated cause marketing campaign (advertising, PR, event branding, online and grassroots outreach, internal communications).
  • FH recruited fashion designer and cancer survivor Carmen Marc Valvo to create Breakaway from Cancer t-shirts and racing jerseys to raise additional awareness and funds.
  • Platinum Rye secured actor Patrick Dempsey and cyclist George Hincapie as primary campaign spokesmen.
  • GMR coordinated Amgen’s branded presence at Lifestyle Festivals staged at each leg of the race (giveaways; donation opportunities; daily raffles, two informational videos about Amgen and its products; and hands-on, family-oriented science experiments coordinated by the Exploratorium museum).
  • GMR organized the “Breakaway Mile” – mile-long bike rides where a cancer survivor rode with an Amgen scientist and the survivor’s support network; distributed premium items and Amgen literature at starting line.

IMPACT

  • After the first two years of the sponsorship, 14 percent of the U.S. population and 23 percent of primary physicians nationwide were aware of the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer initiative.
  • Almost 70 percent (69 percent) of California consumers had a favorable opinion of Amgen’s race sponsorship
  • FH earned more than 900 million favorable and on-message consumer media impressions over the first three years of sponsorship.
  • Web site hits: 2006 (10,000) - 2007 (1.1 million) - 2008 (1.2 million).
  • In 2007: Distributed 38,000 total premium items; received 10,000 raffle entries.
  • In 2008: PSA media impressions (53,814,269) and media value ($1,219,659.)
  • Amgen’s reputation was upheld as it took a proactive stance on the doping issue.