Tide Teams Up with Tennis Superstar Venus Williams to Launch New Tide(R) plus Febreze Freshness Sport(TM)

CINCINNATI, Feb. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whether you're a serious athlete or someone who simply enjoys a brisk walk, you know that the clothing you wear during fitness and sports activities can affect your performance on the court, field or treadmill.  To ensure that your athletic apparel is clean, fresh and looks great for every activity, Tide® introduces Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport™, a new detergent designed to help remove tough stains and odors from garments that take the hardest hits.  New Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport is the number one sports detergent for stain removal and it eliminates odors.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100210/NY52607 )

No one understands the need to balance performance and style better than tennis superstar and apparel designer, Venus Williams, who has long been known for bringing her personal style onto the court.  "Knowing that my clothing has to meet the demands of my game, I always try to blend technological innovation and my personal style in the looks I design for practice and for tournament play.  I use performance fabrics frequently in my designs--they're great for keeping me cool and dry during my toughest matches, but keeping the fibers clean and fresh can be a challenge," said Williams.  

While recent advances in clothing technology have yielded lighter, more comfortable workout wear, the same fibers that keep you cool and dry can also trap tough dirt and odors. Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport leaves your active wear smelling fresh, eliminating the need to purchase specialty products or launder active wear separately, as it works well on active clothing as well as regular loads. Additionally, the technology in Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport releases freshness as you move.

"This product was developed to help address the torture test cleaning and freshness challenges that some of the new technology fabrics for active wear present. Because this product can help solve tough cleaning and freshness issues, it also works well on all loads of laundry.  Venus is the perfect ambassador for Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport because she and Tide share the belief that being able to keep clothes clean and fresh should never come between you and your style – on or off the court," said Suzanne Watson, Associate Marketing Director, North America Tide.  

In addition to appearing in television, print and in-store advertising, Venus Williams will be featured prominently on the Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport website at www.tide.com/Venus in a promotion that challenges consumers to design a tennis outfit for tournament play.  The winning look will inspire an outfit that Williams will wear at a major tennis tournament in 2010.  There's no purchase necessary and the contest begins at 12:00 a.m. ET on February 5th, 2010 and will end on May 7, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. ET.  The Official Rules can be found at www.tide.com/Venus.

"I'm excited to be working with Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport.  This product is a solution for every athlete who doesn't want to compromise on style or performance.  I now approach every workout with the confidence of knowing that my apparel is clean and fresh," said Williams.    

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Beginning February 2010, Tide plus Febreze Fresh Sport will be available nationwide for the suggested retail price of $8.00 for 30 loads, $10.00 for 75 loads and $13.00 for 100 loads,

respectively.  Actual prices are at the sole discretion of individual retailers.  For additional product information, please visit www.tide.com.

About Tide®

For almost 60 years, Tide has been caring for the clothes of American families and helping to provide the everyday miracle of clean clothing. Please visit www.tide.com for helpful product information, practical tips on laundry care, special offers and promotions, updated fabric care articles, and an interactive Stain Detective, which provides official Tide stain removal solutions.

About Procter & Gamble

Four billion times a day, P&G (NYSE: PG) brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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