8X NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Champions the Marks That Matter in New Degree® Campaign

The campaign inspires movers to focus on the marks that truly matter, the ones earned on the court, field, or in pursuit of their passions

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite endless deodorant options on the market, new research¹ shows that 82% of consumers in the US feel the need to compromise between sweat protection and stains on their clothing. That's why Degree Deodorant®, the world's #1 antiperspirant brand, developed Degree® UltraClear specifically formulated to help protect against the appearance of white marks on dark clothes and yellow marks on white clothes, while offering 72-hour nonstop sweat and odor protection.

Degree® is unveiling its new campaign highlighting that even though movement may leave marks, your antiperspirant should not. Driven by the pervasive impact of sweat and stain marks on self-confidence, the campaign inspires movers to focus on the marks that truly matter, the ones earned on the court, field, or in pursuit of their passions.

"At Degree, we recognize that every mark tells a story – a tale of resilience, determination and progress," said Unilever Global Brand Vice President Kathryn Swallow. "With our cutting-edge Degree® UltraClear product, we empower individuals to focus on the marks that truly matter – the ones earned from relentless effort."

Led by brand partner, 8X NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the campaign spotlights the indomitable spirit of athletes and movers everywhere who know that pushing your limits comes at a price. Additional research¹ shows that 54% of movers experience a loss of confidence due to movement marks, with 46% contemplating giving up their sport or physical activity altogether. From cuts to calluses, bumps to bruises, scabs to scars – our bodies are covered in sporting stories. But these marks are a sign of improvement because even though you may have been knocked down, you got back up.

"Degree® aims to inspire all movers to continue pushing their limits and celebrate the marks that matter," said Kathryn Swallow. "Our partnership with Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose remarkable journey epitomizes resilience and determination, exemplifies this ethos."

The campaign coincides with the launch of brand partner Giannis Antetokounmpo's Prime Video documentary, "Giannis: The Marvelous Journey," offering fans an intimate look at the athlete's extraordinary trajectory both on and off the court. Giannis stars in the campaign's centerpiece, a poignant 60-second film featuring a diverse cast of athletes, including a para-climber, roller skater and soccer players. The scenes follow them as they push themselves to their limits, getting knocked down, yet get right back up again despite their scrapes and bruises, while Giannis talks about basketball, his playing style and his "tattoos," the sport marks he's received over the seasons.

Shot in a documentary-style by director Luiza de Moraes, through Fresh Films, the films use a mixed media approach that blends boomerangs, photographs, and home video-style sequences that show the athlete's marks and movement stories, over unscripted dialogue from Giannis. 

The hero film is part of a wider integrated campaign that celebrates the marks that movement leaves on the body – the cuts, scrapes, bruises and calluses. A series of 15-second ads will feature marks as a physical reminder of the hard work, determination and resilience of everyone who moves.

¹ Degree Data 2023. AMV BBDO Quantitative Study, September 2023, 300 US respondents (all movers).

About Degree® 

Degree® deodorants and antiperspirants are designed to inspire the confidence in everyone to move more. We make it our business to know about sweat, and what we learn informs every product innovation to help you keep moving. As a brand designed for and dedicated to promoting movement, Degree® has always believed in the power of movement to enhance our wellbeing. Yet, we know that the opportunity to move is not distributed equally, which is why we have made a commitment to ensure everyone has the freedom to move and help youth transform their lives through the power of movement. We are bringing this commitment to life through a variety of ongoing partnerships and programs that strive to help everyone find the confidence to move beyond limits. Visit www.degreedeodorant.com and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to learn more. 

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 148,000 employees and generated sales of €52.4 billion in 2021. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic brands like Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Seventh Generation, St. Ives, Suave, TRESemmé, and Vaseline.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

- improving the health of the planet;
- improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

While there is still more to do, in the past year we're proud to have achieved sector leadership in S&P's Dow Jones Sustainability Index, 'Triple A' status in CDP's Climate, Water and Forest benchmarks, and to be named as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey for the eleventh consecutive year.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca

PRESS CONTACT  
Thea Nagle 
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SOURCE Degree