Actress Sofia Vergara Joins New York Flash Mob Hairography Performance

CHICAGO, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Today actress Sofia Vergara of ABC's "Modern Family" treated New Yorkers to a surprise "hairography" flash mob dance performance, a choreographed dance showcasing beautiful hair and the quality of Suave Professionals hair care products. The performance brought to life the results of the new "Suave Stylists Surprised Survey" where Suave invited 1,000 salon stylists to test a "mystery" product and share their feedback.  After trying Suave Professionals shampoo and conditioner, 70 percent of the stylists said the products work as well as or better than what they use in the salon.(1)

With the help of Vergara, Suave Professionals is inviting women nationwide to see just how well the Suave Professionals products perform. The first 100,000 people to visit and register at Suave.com will receive a FREE full-size bottle of shampoo. Suave will also make a $10,000 donation to The Women's Funding Network, a coalition of foundations around the world that contribute to women's and girls' organizations dealing with social justice, global security, financial power and women's health.  

As part of the New York Hairography performance, passersby were treated to one-on-one hair consultations from The Suave Professionals – top celebrity stylists Luke O'Connor, Theodore Leaf and Leo Rocco. And you don't have to be in New York City to reap the benefits – everyone can get tailored advice from a professional stylist via a virtual hair consultation or hair advice at Suave.com. Whether women are looking for the best product for their hair type or step-by-step instructions on must-have looks, the Suave Professionals stylists are at the ready.

"I'm thrilled to help treat women nationwide to free Suave Professionals," says Vergara. "I was surprised by the line's salon-quality performance and encourage all women to visit Suave.com to receive free advice from professional hairstylists and try it for themselves."  

Hair-Raising Stats

Here's a look at more of the surprising results from the Suave Stylists Surprised Survey:

• After trying the "mystery" hair care products, the vast majority (92 percent) of hairstylists were satisfied with the shampoo and conditioner they tried.
• Two in three stylists said the products' overall quality was excellent or very good.
• A testament to product satisfaction, 77 percent of stylists said they would likely use the products on themselves or recommend the products to someone, and seven in 10 would likely use the product with customers at their salon.
• Overall, 62 percent said they would likely consider selling Suave Professionals at their salon.

The Cost of Beauty

Hair products are big business for salons, with individual products ranging anywhere from $10 to $30. When asked about the "mystery" products, nearly all stylists expected the price to be higher than their actual retail value.

• More than half of the stylists surveyed thought the price of the "mystery" product was between $10.00 and $19.99. In reality, the products cost a tenth of that price, at a suggested retail price of two dollars a bottle!
• One in two stylists (50 percent) thought they tested a high-end brand shampoo such as Matrix (31 percent) or Redken (20 percent), while others guessed Pantene (25 percent), Tresemme (16 percent), and finally, Suave (9 percent).

Stylist Secrets Revealed

The survey also gave a behind-the-scenes look into what stylists really think when it comes to their clients' hair dos and don'ts. While about one in two stylists said that only up to 25 percent of their clients ask for a new look in a typical month, the majority of stylists (78 percent) think up to half of their clients should let them try out a different 'do.

• Forty-one percent said the most drastic style change they've done for a client is dying the hair a bright color, followed by a mohawk (26 percent), shaved head (8 percent) and mullet (6 percent).
• Not surprisingly, a break-up is the most frequent occasion for making a drastic hair change as reported by 34 percent of the stylists. A major lifestyle change, such as getting a new job, also topped the list with 23 percent of stylists.

For more information, products and consultations, please visit Suave.com. Also, become a fan of the SuaveBeauty Facebook page and follow @SuaveBeauty on Twitter for the latest hair tips, trends and advice.

About Unilever North America

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.  Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Omo, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2009. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

(1)About the 1,000 Stylists Survey

Results are from a survey of 1,007 Hair Stylists in the U.S., conducted between November 24, 2009 and January 7, 2010, by KRC Research on behalf of Suave.  Interviews were conducted both online (843) and by telephone (164).  Specifically, 59% said the products worked as well as what they use in their salons, and 11% said the products worked better than what they use in their salon.

About KRC Research

KRC Research is a full-service market research firm.  A unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), KRC Research offers the quality and custom service of a small firm along with the reach of a global organization. For over 30 years, we have worked on behalf of corporations, governments, not-for-profits and the communications firms that represent them. Staffed with market research professionals from the worlds of political campaigns, consumer marketing, journalism and academia, we are flexible, practical, creative, knowledgeable and fast, combining sophisticated research tools with real-world communications experience. To learn more, please visit www.krcresearch.com.

SOURCE Unilever North America