NIVEA Enlists Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza to Launch its Kiss of the Year Contest on Facebook--the Search for America's Greatest Love Story

WILTON, Conn., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NIVEA announced today the launch of its most exciting New Year's Eve program yet with the Kiss of the Year Contest— a contest via Facebook where fans can share their love story for an opportunity to experience that all-important, memorable New Year's Eve Kiss in front of millions on the NIVEA Kiss Stage in the heart of Times Square. NIVEA's panel of celebrity and expert judges will determine the three finalists with the most compelling love stories who will win a trip to New York City to appear on The Wendy Williams Show. Public votes will then determine the winning "Kiss of the Year" couple to win the grand prize:

• An all-expenses paid trip to New York City where they'll join NIVEA New Year's Eve Kiss ambassadors, Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza on the NIVEA Kiss Stage in Times Square on New Year's Eve for the year's most spectacular kiss
• Two exclusive VIP tickets to the New Year's Eve party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square to attend the star-studded official New Year's Eve celebration
• A feature in Us Weekly Magazine highlighting their memorable New Year's Eve Kiss

For the fifth year in a row, NIVEA will "paint" Times Square— the epicenter of the world's New Year's Eve celebrations —  blue as the official sponsor of the Times Square Alliance's New Year's Eve Celebration. NIVEA is the #1 lip care brand in the world; the brand offers more than 15 moisturizing lip care products that are all made to make kisses better. That said, it's only fitting for NIVEA to sponsor one of the biggest and most important kisses of the year.

"NIVEA has always believed in the power of human touch. Our products help consumers achieve touchably smooth skin and kissably soft lips that make you want to touch and be touched…bringing everyone closer together," said Magnus Jonsson, Vice President, Marketing at Beiersdorf, Inc. 

"We are excited, once again, to be the official sponsor of the Times Square Alliance New Year's Eve Celebration where we'll help millions of people in Times Square and around the globe make that all-important New Year's kiss better as the clock strikes midnight."

To help ring in 2013 and select the winners of the Kiss of the Year Contest, NIVEA has enlisted one of America's most romantic couples, TV personalities Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza. The couple will serve as the official hosts of NIVEA's annual New Year's Eve celebration in the heart of Times Square.

"We're thrilled to join forces with NIVEA to host the NIVEA Kiss Stage at the Times Square New Year's Eve Celebration, and to help one loving couple win the experience of a lifetime," said Mario Lopez. "The New Year's Eve kiss is the year's most memorable kiss and sets the tone for the days and months that follow," says Courtney Mazza. "This is an especially important time of the year for us: last New Year's Eve, Mario proposed and the kiss that followed my saying 'yes,' is one that we'll never forget."

The Kiss of the Year Contest details are as follows:

SUBMISSION PERIOD: October 18^th – November 7^th
Starting October 18^th, couples can log onto Facebook.com/NIVEAUSA  to share their true love stories, a photo and the compelling reasons they deserve to be named NIVEA's "Kiss of the Year" Couple.

JUDGING PERIOD: November 8^th – November 25^th
NIVEA's panel of celebrity and expert judges, led by NIVEA Kiss Stage hosts Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza, will use their romance expertise to select three lucky couples that will advance to the finalist phase where the public gets to vote on Facebook for their favorite couple for this once in a lifetime experience. All three finalists will win a trip to New York City to appear on The Wendy Williams Show.

PUBLIC VOTING PERIOD: November 26^th – December 16^th
Starting November 26^th, people across the country can view the three finalists'  compelling love stories and vote to choose their favorite couple to win the grand prize trip to Times Square on New Year's Eve.

WINNER UNVEILING: December 31^st
Following the public voting period, NIVEA's panel of celebrity and expert judges will announce the lucky winning couple of the Kiss of the Year Contest on Facebook.com/NIVEAUSA.

For more information about NIVEA lip care,  NIVEA's New Year's Eve celebration, or to coordinate interviews with NIVEA executives and/or Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza, please contact Katie Scarth, [email protected].

About NIVEA
NIVEA is a leading manufacturer of consumer products for skin and beauty care. The NIVEA brand portfolio includes NIVEA, NIVEA Lip Care, NIVEA Body Wash, and NIVEA For Men. For more information on NIVEA, visit our Web site, www.NIVEAusa.com

About Beiersdorf AG
NIVEA is owned by Hamburg, Germany-based Beiersdorf AG, a leading manufacturer of branded consumer products for skin and beauty care, with over 125 years of experience in research and development, and a strong global presence. The company produces leading international brands such as NIVEA, Eucerin, la prairie, Juvena, Labello, 8x4, Futuro, Florena, Hansaplast/Elastoplast and Tesa. For more information, visit www.beiersdorfusa.com.

SOURCE Beiersdorf Inc.