Care Triumphs On and Off the Field

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Sept. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Athletes of every age can benefit from the character-building opportunities and environments that come with participation in sports. However, fifty percent of parents and coaches believe that sportsmanship has worsened since they were growing up.¹ Understanding coaches play an irreplaceable role for athletes as they become more engaged in sports,² Dove Men+Care Deodorant has set out to highlight how a coach's care has the power to guide athletes and ease irritations and frustrations on and off the field. The brand – best known for providing caring products to help end irritation – is working with respected leaders in football to honor coaches whose mentorship fosters a caring environment for both players and fans. In collaboration with head college football coach, David Shaw, and the College Football Hall of Fame, Dove Men+Care Deodorant will launch the 'Care Always Wins' campaign, to draw attention to the importance of care and how it helps end irritations inside the locker room and on the field.

As part of the 'Care Always Wins' campaign, Coach Shaw, who has earned multiple coaching leadership awards over his 20-year career, will inspire families and sports fans to visit DoveMenCare.com to nominate impactful coaches in their local communities for the inaugural Dove Men+Care Deodorant "Caring Coach of the Year Award." Three K-12 coaches will be selected and honored in Atlanta, Georgia by the College Football Hall of Fame, an organization devoted to celebrating football's greatest players and coaches as positive role models.

"Coaches have the power to teach much more than the physical elements of the game — my job is to guide players on how to be successful in the heat of competition, as well as in the classroom, and after graduation," said Coach Shaw. "I am extremely proud to be part of a campaign that champions the influential role coaches play in young people's lives every day, and hope we soon see a larger shift in how athletics prioritizes positive, caring attitudes."

The Dove Men+Care Deodorant 'Care Always Wins' program will kick-off during the start of the college football season this week at Stanford University's Fan Fest, on Saturday September 6, 2014.  The brand will host a football clinic, attended by notable players who can provide perspective and anecdotes that underscore how care can make a positive impact on all athletes. Drills and exercises will also take place to encourage participants to practice good sportsmanship and to keep irritation and frustrations out of the game. Dove Men+Care Antiperspirant Deodorant products will also be available to provide care and help end everyday underarm irritation – another irritation players, coaches and fans should not have to face on or off the field. The product range, with 1/4 moisturizer technology and powerful 48-hour odor and wetness protection, provides a clinically proven non-irritating formula that helps men fight underarm discomfort.

"Dove Men+Care Deodorant is a brand dedicated to providing care in our products that help end underarm irritation, so that all men can stay focused on what matters most" says Matthew McCarthy, Senior Director of Deodorants/Antiperspirants, Unilever. "We understand how important care is in all aspects of life and admire the resounding impact a coach's care can have on players. We are excited to put the spotlight on the most caring coaches who demonstrate how more care means less irritation on and off the field."

Nominate A Caring Coach*
Dove Men+Care Deodorant wants fans and families everywhere to share the story of a caring coach who has made a difference in their lives, and within their local community. Submissions for the "Caring Coach of the Year" award should communicate in 250 words how the coach demonstrates passion, teaches character, shows determination, communicates with respect and supports players with encouragement. The winners and nominators will receive a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, where the coaches will be honored by the College Football Hall of Fame, and funding to continue to care for and support their local football programs. The coaches will also be honored in a Dove Men+Care ad in the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year issue.

*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Dove Men + Care Caring Coach of the Year Contest is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 & older. Begins 8:00 a.m. ET on 9/4/14 and ends 12:00 p.m. ET on 10/2/14. For Official Rules, visit DoveMenCare.com/CaringCoach.

About Dove Men+Care US
Dove Men+Care is the first range of products from Dove developed specially for men.  Manufactured by Unilever, it is the #1 recommended body wash by dermatologists. Launched in 2010, the Dove Men+Care portfolio includes bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, and hair care. Dove Men+Care is available nationwide in food, drug, and mass outlet stores.

About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, 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, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemme and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, while reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals, we have defined seven pillars, underpinned by targets encompassing social, environmental and economic areas. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/ or http://www.unilever.ca/sustainable-living/.

Unilever employs approximately 11,500 people across North America – generating more than $10 billion in sales in 2013. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.

About David Shaw
David Shaw has been coaching football at the professional and collegiate levels since 1995. Shaw has spent the past four years as a head coach, compiling a record of 35-7. Over his nearly 20-year coaching career, Shaw has earned numerous awards and accolades. Born in San Diego, Calif., Shaw and his wife Kori have three children – Keegan, Carter and Gavin.

Annette Reichel /Edelman
(212) 704 8227
[email protected]  

[1] Liberty Mutual Sportsmanship Survey, 2014
[2] Concordia University, "The coach as moral influence" study by Sandra Pelaez, 2011*
*Supported by Fonds de Recherche sur la Societe et la Culture du Quebec

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SOURCE Dove Men+Care/Unilever