Cap, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun, breathable clothing and comfortable and resistant footwear are some of the essential elements for every runner to take care of themselves while running. Vaseline wants to join this equipment as an ally to protect sensitive areas from friction, and to this end it has launched the “The nipple sponsorship” campaign internationally.
In our country it has done so with the help of the Ogilvy agency in recent weeks, culminating in the Zurich Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Madrid 2026 marathon, which took place on April 26 in the capital and in which it has served as an official collaborating brand. This is an integrated public relations, influencer marketing and outdoor advertising campaign focused on raising awareness in the running community about the importance of protecting the entire body during sports practice.
Vaseline wants to be part of runners’ equipment for skin protection
The campaign is based on chafing caused by clothing as one of the main concerns of runners. Vaseine has identified that many runners use its product to treat hands, feet, inner thighs, nipples and sports clothing lines.
In line with its “Vaseline Verified” platform; awarded at Cannes Lions 2025, wanted to verify the trick live with the running community and supporting the idea of sponsoring runners’ nipples during the marathon season. Hence the symbol of the silhouette of the ointment jar with the tick symbol has been the protagonist of a t-shirt worn by sports fans.
The activations of “The nipple sponsorship”
Vaseline has rolled out a series of special activations and actions to highlight the suitability of the iconic Vaseline Original Protecting Jelly for runners. The strategy started with the brand’s collaboration with the Good Soles running club, and the participation of its members in the Barcelona Marathon, on March 15. The brand gave special t-shirts and product samples to the runners, and accompanied them on their journey.
However, the focus of the campaign launch in Spain has been Vaseline’s participation in the Madrid marathon. Before the race, the brand was present for two days with a stand at the Expo del Corredor, a fair that was held at Ifema the days before the race. There the brand distributed more than 10,000 units of product and more than 3,000 branded bottles.
In addition, with the help of the Bcapp agency, on Saturday, April 25, Vaseline sponsored a training session prior to the marathon in collaboration with the sports firm Back Current, which was in charge of manufacturing the “The Nipple Sponsorship” technical t-shirts, and the Triboost Club triathlon and running school. Professionals from the world of running offered advice, an outdoor training session was carried out in Santander Park for thirty runners, and the experience culminated with an I in a more relaxed and festive format.
Together with the brand, they also held a raffle to obtain a batch of product worth 60 euros, and a Back Current t-shirt valued at 70 euros.
On the official day of the race, Vaseline accompanied the participants under the motto “Whoever said that friction makes love, didn’t have 42km on them”, remembering the importance of skin protection as a key element for comfort during the race. The brand was present on the screens in the VIP area, as well as on the t-shirts of thirty runners in the three modalities (marathon, half marathon and 10K), and delivered product at strategic points, such as the start and ten refreshment points.
In addition, the strategy has been complemented with the generation of content for the press and social networks, and also with the collaboration with up to 24 different profiles of influencers and content creators, which has helped boost the reach of the message and expand the community.
On the other hand, Vaseline has deployed an outdoor advertising campaign on buses and subways to publicize the launch in Spain of the Gluta-Hya line of body serums. The objective has been to continue impacting the brand on all those who travel by public transport on race day.
The campaign has been developed internationally, so far Vaseline has been present in the marathons of Tokyo, Caracas, Singapore, London, Barcelona and Madrid, developing similar activations.
