AXE® Uncovers Dating Game Epidemic - Girls Are Getting Hotter

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., July 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its new Black Chill product launch, AXE, a leader in men's grooming¹, released a survey today that unequivocally shows girls are getting hotter over time – this evolution is causing guys to lose their cool and experience nervous symptoms in the presence of these girls. Guys who experience fidgeting, avoidance of eye contact and fumbling around attractive girls are not alone. This epidemic is sweeping the nation, and AXE Black Chill is here to help.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130711/NY45737-INFO )

According to the AXE survey², 91 percent of guys 18 to 24 overwhelmingly agree girls have gotten hotter over the past 100 years. This rise in 'female hotness' is attributed in part to changing fashions – on average, hemlines are shorter and heels are higher - making it nearly impossible for guys to keep calm when meeting a girl.

In fact, 74 percent of girls surveyed admit to noticing that guys act nervous when encountering a hot girl for the first time. Tough news fellas, since 80 percent of girls think it's important for a guy to keep his cool and remain confident around a girl he finds attractive.

To make things even more daunting, attractive women are having more children on average, and a higher proportion of these children are women³. Over time, women are gaining a competitive edge over guys in the hotness department.

 "Even the coolest guy can lose his cool a little around a girl he finds super attractive," said Matthew McCarthy, Director of Brand Building for AXE. "In our latest study on the dating game, three out of four guys told us they feel nervous during face-to-face interactions with good-looking girls. Understanding attraction between girls and guys is at the heart of the AXE brand. As confidence is a key element of attraction, AXE helps guys keep their cool through key moments in the dating game."

From shorter hemlines to higher heel heights, girls are rapidly gaining a competitive edge over guys in the hotness department. As a leader in men's grooming and expert in the game of attraction, AXE has developed the new Black Chill product range to help guys keep their cool. Infused with citrus, mint and cedar wood fragrances notes, the new AXE Black Chill line will help guys look and smell their best, in turn boosting their confidence in front of the opposite sex. Additionally, AXE will be launching The AXE Black Chill Challenge, which will offer fans from around the country the opportunity to experience the ultimate adventure and test his or her ability to stay 'cool' under pressure through a series of action packed challenges.

AXE Black Chill Product Range
The AXE Black Chill Collection offers a full product line including a deodorant stick, anti-perspirant invisible solid, shower gel, shampoo, face wash, shave gel and post shave hydrator to meet all of guys' grooming needs, helping him look, feel and smell his best. To learn more about the AXE Black Chill Collection visit theaxeeffect.com.

About AXE
AXE, a leader in men's care, is an iconic personal care brand around the world that helps guys look, smell and feel their best. The Unilever-manufactured brand is available in a line of bodysprays, deodorant and anti-perspirant sticks, shower gels, hair and face care products. AXE is the No. 1 men's fragrance* in the U.S. and the No. 1 grooming brand., excluding shaving hardware, and achieved this status only seven years after launch. Including bodysprays, AXE is the largest men's deodorant brand in the U.S.

The brand's mission is to help guys get the girl with grooming products that reflect individual personality and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.theaxeeffect.com.

About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 190. With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and 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. In the United States and Canada the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, fds, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Ragu, Simple, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemme, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or 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 over $9 billion in sales in 2011. For more information visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.

SOURCE AXE