P&G Takes 'Tour of London' with Walmart

In celebration of American athletes' participation in this summer’s Olympic Games, Procter & Gamble, an official Olympic Partner, has teamed up with Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-mart Stores Inc. to bring a “Tour of London” to the United States.

The 535-square-foot re-creation of London, constructed at the Walmart located at 7011 Main Street in American Canyon, Calif., features iconic London landmarks and symbols, including Big Ben, the London Eye and red double-decker buses.

“The display celebrates our dedicated athletes and creates a unique in-store shopping event that customers will remember for years to come,” said Stuart Heflin, brand manager of Cincinnati-based P&G’s Walmart global consumer team. “P&G is behind the Olympic games and our athletes 100 percent. We want to give people who can’t travel to Europe the opportunity to feel some of the excitement of the Games here at home.”

The London Eye replica stands 18 feet tall and rotates like its real-life equivalent, while Big Ben stands at 21 feet and includes a working clock that chimes every 15 minutes. There are also  three 8-foot-tall double-decker buses, two featuring window-mounted television screens that show P&G Olympic Games-themed commercials, as well as educational maps about the landmarks available for self-guided tours.

Designed by Springdale, Ark.-based media agency Saatchi and Saatchi X, the display took roughly 36 hours and a crew of eight people to construct and was completed in time for the 2012 Olympic Games’ opening weekend. A formal unveiling that was open to the public took place on July 28. The display will remain at its Walmart location through Aug. 10.