Emmy Award-Winning ESPN College GameDay Analyst and Former Ohio State Quarterback Kirk Herbstreit Huddles with DOVE® Men+Care™ to Share His "Journey to Comfort"

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DOVE® Men+Care™, a Unilever men's personal care brand, is giving football fans a never-before-seen pass inside the life of former Ohio State quarterback and ESPN College GameDay Built By The Home Depot analyst Kirk Herbstreit. The third quarter of the Dove® Men+Care™ "Journey to Comfort" campaign kicks off today with a video series sharing personal experiences that have helped the legendary football player become comfortable in his own skin.  The stories will be shown throughout the college football season, including the 2012 Bowl Championship Series (BCS), upcoming ESPN "Year of the Quarterback" content, and at www.dovemencare.com as part of a season-long Unilever sponsorship.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52389-dove-men-care-journey-to-comfort-with-kirk-herbstreit

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111003/MM75046 )

Herbstreit's "Journey to Comfort" videos are inspired by the Dove® Men+Care™ collection of grooming products including Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Personal Wash, which help make men literally comfortable in their own skin.  His video series will highlight unsung moments and milestones – on and off the field – that all men can relate to on their journey to becoming comfortable with themselves.

"No one receives a playbook when learning to be a dad, or handling bumps in the road," said Herbstreit, also known as "Herbie" by fans. "Passion has always driven my biggest accomplishments.  From football to fatherhood, my 'Journey to Comfort' has been about realizing that if I care enough about something, I know I can make it happen."

Beyond the Endzone

The "Journey to Comfort" videos provide fans a look at Herbstreit's personal and professional life, from the football field to the studio.  He talks about "playing sheriff" to his four boys at home, thinking he would not receive a callback after his audition for College GameDay, and other key moments that have helped him reach a point of total comfort.  Herbstreit joins a prolific "Journey to Comfort" roster of all-star athletes, including Drew Brees, Albert Pujols, Joe Girardi, Andy Pettitte, Magic Johnson, John Thompson III, Bobby Hurley, Stewart Cink and Davis Love III who have all shown they are comfortable in their own skin and understand the importance of caring for themselves and others.

"Every man – whether a running back or simply running his kids to practice – has his own personal 'Journey to Comfort' story. That is what makes this campaign something that stays with guys well after the game has ended," said Rob Candelino, Marketing Director Personal Wash U.S., Unilever.  "By giving an inside look into the lives of NCAA basketball icons, professional golfers, and a quarterback like Herbie, we're showing moments men can relate to, during a time most guys are passionate about – college football season."

Connecting Guys to Game Day

Guys who consider themselves challenged at playing quarterback in real life can try their hand at a virtual pigskin game on Twitter for a chance to win football prizes.  Starting October 22, the "Over-Under Challenge" will allow @Dovemencare followers to guess the accuracy of college football score predictions for weekend games.  The challenge will run for eight weeks through the season, ending December 12.  One fan each week will have a chance to receive a custom-branded football, Dove® Men+Care™ product line and other prizes, and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2012 Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio. Fans can also enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to a 2012 BCS bowl game by entering the Unilever Men's "Experts in the Field" sweepstakes at www.dovemencare.com, starting October 11.

Herbstreit's "Journey to Comfort" videos can be seen as commercials across ESPN television networks and online properties as well as on www.dovemencare.com and www.youtube.com/dove.

ESPN and BCS Partnership

As a leader in personal care, Unilever, the makers of Dove®, will spotlight Dove® Men+Care™ as part of a partnership with ESPN's college football and BCS sponsorship.  The "Journey to Comfort" campaign will air within a Unilever men's personal care 14-week College GameDay integration, and Unilever will be designated as a co-presenting sponsor of ESPN's "Year of the Quarterback" initiative through December.  The BCS sponsorship will come to life during other key moments throughout the season, including: print, radio and mobile sponsorships in ESPN properties, quarterback-related features in more than 20 non-BCS bowl games airing on ESPN networks in December, commercials airing in all five 2012 BCS Bowl Games (Discover Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Allstate BCS National Championship Game), as well as across ESPN.com and college football home pages.

In addition to Herbstreit, fans will see favorite personalities from ESPN's "College GameDay" making plays with other Unilever men's personal care brands throughout the football season, including host Chris Fowler and analyst Desmond Howard, who will be working with Degree Men and AXE for other exciting college football programs.

Total Skin Comfort

Thanks to Dove® Men+Care™, all men can literally be comfortable in their own skin. Built on Unilever's success in the men's deodorant category and the Dove® brand's heritage in superior skincare, new Dove® Men+Care™ Antiperspirants and Deodorants are specifically designed to be tough on sweat, not on skin. The collection provides total underarm care with 48-hour odor and wetness protection, and has a unique formula that fights skin irritation.

Joining the collection of Dove® Men+Care™ Body and Face Wash is Sensitive Clean Body and Face Wash that clinically fights dryness better than regular men's body washes. It is hypoallergenic and created without dyes and fragrances for men who prefer a mild, unscented body and face wash. Additionally, the pH neutral formula guarantees a gentle, comforting clean for men prone to skin irritations.

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, face care, 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 is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180. 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, 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, 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, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, OMO, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemme, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. 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 2010. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.

(1) AC Nielsen (2010)

SOURCE Dove Men+Care