Dove® Challenges Women to Get Close-Up Ready for the Opportunity to Have a Real 'Dancing with the Stars' Experience

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you ready for your close-up? Dove® is giving one real woman the ultimate close-up experience -- a chance to show off her skin in a TV spot that will air during the season finale of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." The Dove® Close-Up Challenge is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a real woman to get a taste of what celebrities experience on the show. It celebrates the launch of Dove® VisibleCare™, a revolutionary new line of body wash that actually gives women visibly more beautiful skin in just one week. Actress and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Jennie Garth will announce the contest in a Dove®-sponsored TV spot airing during the Oscars telecast, LIVE Sunday, Feb. 27 (8:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

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Dove® Close-up Challenge

Dove® is inviting real women everywhere to create a video up to 60-seconds in length sharing why they are ready for their close-up experience. The selected woman will receive a weeklong all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles where she will get an authentic "Dancing with the Stars" experience including training with a performer from the show, confidence coaching by Garth, and the ultimate opportunity: a "finale" of her own. She will get to show off her smooth moves and beautiful skin in front of America when she dances in a Dove®-sponsored TV spot in the season finale of "Dancing with the Stars" Monday, May 23 (8:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Entries for the Dove® Close-Up Challenge are being accepted from 12:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 27, 2011 to 12:00 p.m. ET on March 26, 2011. Video submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will determine the top entry. Visit www.dovecloseup.com for more information and to view the contest rules. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

"This contest celebrates the launch of the Dove® VisibleCare™ Body Wash collection and brings to life our brand philosophy of spotlighting real women," said Rob Candelino, Marketing Director, Dove U.S., Unilever. "We are thrilled to give one real woman this once-in-a-lifetime close-up experience on the ultimate dancing stage."

Experience Dove® Online

Not up for the full Dove® Close-Up Challenge? No need to worry. There are multiple other ways women can take part online in the experience:  

• Watch Garth's video on www.dovecloseup.com showing how she got ready for her own "Dancing with the Stars" experience
• Play the Beautiful Difference game and test your skills at spotting visible differences on www.dovecloseup.com
• View behind-the-scenes photos and footage of Garth's Dove shoot on Facebook.com/Dove
• Join the #closeupmoment "Twitter party" on Feb. 28, 2011 and submit questions to be answered by Garth

Skin Takes Center Stage

From everyday occurrences like spending time with family and friends to ultimate spotlight moments like being on national TV, a woman's skin is always front and center. After all, it is the body's largest organ with an average surface area of 16 to 21 feet making it the most visible of all body parts. That is why it is important for women to remember looking their best starts with having beautiful skin.

"When I was on 'Dancing with the Stars' there was so much emphasis on my hair and makeup, but it was my skin that was really in the spotlight -- especially with the tiny costumes I had to wear!" said Garth. "I love that Dove® VisibleCare™ Body Washes allow my beauty routine to start in the shower. They make my skin soft, smooth and visibly more beautiful so I am now close-up ready every day."

A Visible Difference

With Dove® VisibleCare™ Body Washes, beautiful skin now starts in the most unexpected of places -- the shower. The new body washes are specially designed to give women visibly more beautiful skin in just one week. When used daily, the formula actually improves the look of skin making it softer, smoother and always close-up ready. The collection is available in two variants -- Softening and Renewing -- and can be found at food, drug, mass and club retailers.

About Dove

Dove, manufactured by Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide.  One in every three households uses a Dove product(1), which includes beauty bars, body washes, anti-perspirant/deodorants, body mists, hair care and styling aids. Dove Men+Care™ is the newest range of products from Dove, developed specially for men. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores.

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, we serve over two billion consumers. 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, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.  

About Dancing With The Stars

Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Brooke Burke ("Dancing with the Stars" Season Seven Champion), "Dancing with the Stars" is the hit series in which the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

"Dancing with the Stars" is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, "Strictly Come Dancing." This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are co-executive producers. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

About BBC Worldwide Productions:

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In the U.S., BBC Worldwide Productions, one of BBC Worldwide's seven core businesses, is based in Los Angeles and New York. It is responsible for the smash hit "Dancing with the Stars" and develops scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks.

1) AC Nielsen (2004)

SOURCE Dove