Matt Ryan, Ray Rice, Evan Longoria, Carlos Gonzalez, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch Named to 2011 Class of Gillette Young Guns

BOSTON, Dec. 31, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Gillette [PG] today announced the launch of its expanded Gillette Young Guns program by unveiling the 2011 roster of six rising stars in their respective sports: Matt Ryan and Ray Rice from football, Evan Longoria and Carlos Gonzalez from baseball and Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch from auto racing.

Gillette Young Guns is a sports marketing platform connecting Gillette's full line of grooming products with avid sports fans in North America.  The program highlights up-and-coming stars and gives fans an in-depth look into the keys to their success both on and off the field.  The Gillette Young Guns will appear in print and broadcast advertising, consumer promotions, point-of-sale materials, online and public relations activities.

"The Gillette Young Guns program has been a tremendous success over the past six years in NASCAR, and today we're building on that success by expanding the program into other popular sports like football and baseball," said John Holding, Marketing Director, P&G Male Grooming, North America. "Sports fans are keenly interested in emerging superstar athletes.  They feel a special connection with them and want to learn as much as possible about each of these up and comers.  This new roster of Gillette Young Guns was selected from hundreds of deserving athletes to represent Gillette and we're thrilled to welcome them to the Gillette family."  

The 2011 class of Gillette Young Guns was selected not only for their individual sporting accomplishments and future potential, but also for their strong leadership qualities.  They are a group of exceptionally motivated young men who hold themselves to high standards on and off the field. Through the expanded Gillette Young Guns program, Gillette will provide fans greater access to this next generation of rising stars. The first opportunity for fans to engage with the Gillette Young Guns can be found in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine, where fans will be able to view exclusive video content on each of the athletes via Quick-Response [QR] Codes on their mobile devices.

"I'm honored to be partnering with Gillette and joining such a talented lineup of athletes," said Matt Ryan, starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. "I look forward to scoring big for Gillette and its passionate fans nationwide."

"Be Ready" is the central theme of the Gillette Young Guns advertising campaign.  This creative concept taps into a core truth that all men need to be ready for the moments in life that will ultimately define them. Gillette encourages men to follow in the Young Guns' footsteps and "Be Ready" every day.  The new advertising will debut in North America in early January.

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SOURCE Gillette