New NFL Goal to Help Turn The Tide on GHG Emissions

by Richard Kent
Oct 7, 2021 2:20 PM ET

Originally published by Acre

Laundry detergent brand Tide has teamed up with the National Football League (NFL) to encourage fans to wash garments in cold water to slash emissions.

The #TurnToCold campaign will kick off by educating and motivating more than 80 million households of NFL fans – more than half of US households - on the benefits of cold-water washing this football season.

The collaboration will not only lessen the environmental impact by reducing consumer greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) but will also lower the cost of utility bills. Cold washing can save up to $150 a year on your energy bill while saving up to 90 percent of energy per load – and garments last longer.

If all NFL fans turn their washing machines to cold, 16 billion loads of laundry would be washed on cold per year — reducing GHG emissions by 5.6 million metric tons, equivalent to removing more than one million cars from the road.

Tide, which is owned by Proctor & Gamble, set a 2030 Ambition in March to increase cold washing loads to three in four, which forms part of its mission to make cold water washing the standard for all Americans.

Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer at Procter & Gamble, said: “Behavior change on this scale requires significant investment in education and industry collaboration, which is why Tide asked a longstanding partner with a high bar for superior laundry cleaning performance — the NFL — to join our mission to turn to cold-water washing.

“When two big brands come together to be a force for good, the potential positive impact is huge. We’re excited to join forces again with the NFL this season and inspire one of America’s largest fanbases to turn to energy-saving cold-water cleaning that’s not only good for clothes, it’s better for the planet.”

Tim Ellis, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer for the NFL, said: “We value our longstanding partnership with Tide and are impressed with their creativity and inspiration behind the #TurnToCold program.

“After seeing the incredible influence that two big brands can have when they join forces for good, we are excited to collaborate with Tide on this program and further utilize our NFL platform to motivate our passionate fan base to support a small change that can make a massive impact on our environment.”

Richard Kent, Senior Consultant USA said: “Washing laundry is a regular feature of life; and as we continue to work towards lowering our impact on the environment, there are many small changes we can make that will add up to big impacts. Initiatives such as the collaboration between Tide and the NFL can help empower change by reaching people at scale and in their homes.

“By switching your washing machine to cold for three out of four washes, you will save on energy costs and your clothes will last longer. And when we ALL do it, we can collectively make a huge impact on yearly GHG emissions. It’s a win-win. Football uniforms get very dirty; and if the NFL equipment staff can keep them sparkling clean with a cold water wash, so can we.

Tide claims to work better when washing in cold water than the average bargain brand of detergent in hot and scientists at the company are reported to have worked with NFL Team Equipment Managers to optimize formulas and settings.

15 teams are taking part in the #TurnToCold campaign so far: the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, LA Chargers, LA Rams, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Football Team.

NFL teams and players will take part in a series of cold-inspired marketing and consumer activations to generate interest.

Fans can also enter a competition to win a Tide Cold Washer, the first-ever talking washing machine that reminds consumers to wash in cold. The machines will be released as a limited-edition NFL team-branded series, customized with fan favorite players’ voices from 10 teams. To enter head to Tide.com.

​Richard is a Senior Research Consultant in our New York office. As the most experienced research consultant on the US team, he leads executive searches in North America, supplying in-depth client and candidate research and talent mapping across all industries. Richard cut his teeth recruiting software engineers, but in recent years he’s focused more on Heads of Product and VP/CXO searches for high growth tech start-ups as well as partner/operating roles for established and growing VC firms. He has worked with a variety of clients ranging from early-stage green energy software start-ups to Fortune 500 electric car manufacturers.

Prior to Acre, Richard earned dual degrees in Corporate Strategy and Management and Spanish and played football at Vanderbilt University before joining IQTalent Partners as the fifth hire. Over eight years, he helped them grow from 5 to 200+ full time employees and a merger.