Taio Cruz to Perform First Ever Live Rendition of John Lennon's 'Imagine' in Times Square on New Year's Eve Just Before the Ball Drops at Midnight

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- NIVEA joined the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment -- the co-organizers of New Year's Eve in Times Square -- to announce today that multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter Taio Cruz will be the first-ever artist to do a live performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" just before the final countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve 2011 on the NIVEA Kiss Platform, located in the heart of Times Square. Millions of people all around the world will experience this memorable moment and connect with one another through the brand's sponsorship of the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration. Following the performance, Taio's version of "Imagine" will be available to download exclusively on iTunes beginning 1/1/11 through 1/31/11 with proceeds benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters, a nonprofit organization that creates long-lasting, strong relationships that enable children to reach their greatest potential through quality one-to-one mentoring, as part of NIVEA's ongoing relationship with the charity.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101210/LA16001)

The "Imagine" performance caps off a breakthrough year for the London-born Cruz, who released two blockbuster singles ("Break Your Heart" featuring Ludacris, and "Dynamite") in 2010, each of which went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts and sold more than six million combined copies in the U.S. alone. 

"I'm thrilled to partner with NIVEA for this special performance in Times Square, the epicenter of New Year's Eve celebrations around the world," said Cruz, "I was deeply touched by their desire to give back to Big Brothers Big Sisters through my music and felt there was no better way to kick off 2011 than with those celebrating the New Year's Eve festivities in Times Square."

"We are excited to partner with Taio this year to make history on New Year's Eve in Times Square," said Magnus Jonsson Vice President, Marketing at Beiersdorf Inc.  "NIVEA believes in the beauty of human connections, and as people everywhere prep their lips to prepare to be kissed on New Year's Eve, they can experience the live performance of 'Imagine' and later download it from iTunes to benefit a cause that is very dear to our brand – Big Brothers Big Sisters. We are thrilled to continue our support with this important charity by spreading the joy of music."

To purchase the single "Imagine" from Taio Cruz, visit iTunes.

As part of a multi-layered partnership with NIVEA, Taio's new single "Falling in Love" appears in the brand's advertising for NIVEA Lip Care. "The single is a perfect fit for the campaign," explained Jeff Straughn, CEO of Brand Synergy Group, NIVEA's music agency. "We strive for fully integrated programs that maximize each element of the marketing mix. The partnership will culminate with the riveting first-ever performance of 'Imagine' by Taio for an international moment that will connect millions of people around the globe." 

NIVEA and New Year's Eve: A Perfect Match

As the official sponsor of the Times Square Alliance New Year's Eve Celebration for the third consecutive year, NIVEA will help prep the lips of thousands of people in Times Square with long-lasting hydration in A Kiss of Smoothness as they prepare for one of the year's most memorable kisses as the clock strikes midnight. In fact, four out of five people found lips kissable and perfectly hydrated with the help of NIVEA.

Throughout the evening, the NIVEA Kiss Platform will feature memorable moments to entertain the crowd. NIVEA will paint Times Square blue and white creating the signature "sea of blue" featuring New Year's Eve accessories and NIVEA Lip Care products to protect the lips of revelers in Times Square as they prepare to be kissed on New Year's Eve.

About TAIO CRUZ

TAIO CRUZ arrived on the scene earlier this year with acclaimed Mercury/IDJMG debut, ROKSTARR. In addition to hitting No. 1 in the UK, Ireland, Norway and Sweden, the album's first single, "Break Your Heart," made history with the biggest-ever jump to No. 1 by a Billboard chart newcomer. His videos combined for more than 80 million video views on Vevo and he performed on "Live! With Regis & Kelly," "The View," "Lopez Tonight," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Dancing With The Stars," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "America's Got Talent." He's currently promoting his brand-new single, "Higher" featuring Travie McCoy.

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 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.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. As the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers ("Bigs") and children ("Littles"). 

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides a system of ongoing evaluation and support that is proven by independent studies to help families by improving the odds that "Littles" will perform better in school and avoid violence and illegal activities, and have stronger relationships with their parents and others. Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of nearly 400 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 255,000 children. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate, or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

SOURCE NIVEA