Dove Men+Care and J.J. Redick Call on Fans to Stand For Care this March Madness®

New research shows that 97% of men believe that men can show good sportsmanship during sporting events without sacrificing passion for their team

News provided by

Dove Men+Care

Mar 06, 2017, 09:41 ET

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- NCAA^® March Madness^® brings out the most passionate fans to cheer on their teams to the win, but heated matchups and long-standing rivalries can sometimes create tension on the court and in the stands. That's why this March, Dove Men+Care is showing how care strengthens players and fans by introducing the 'Real Strength Manifesto' —a unifying message for fans to rally around and stand for care this season. Basketball greats like J.J. Redick, Anthony Davis and Alonzo Mourning, alongside The National Association of Basketball Coaches with coaches such as Jim Calhoun and Tubby Smith, and the Naismith Trophy organization have signed the manifesto and starting today, consumers can too.

"We know fans feel that they can be passionate about their teams, while also exhibiting good sportsmanship. In fact, Dove Men+Care research shows that 97% of men believe they should be respectful of opposing fans during sporting eventsⁱ," said Nick Soukas, Vice President of Marketing for Dove Men+Care at Unilever. "That's why Dove Men+Care is rallying fans to unite and sign the 'Real Strength Manifesto' to show that all basketball fans, players and coaches agree that care and sportsmanship, both on and off the court, are as important as the win."

Real Strength Manifesto
Sports fans know that games can sometimes get tense between opposing teams and 8 in 10 men have seen aggressive fan behavior while attending a sporting eventⁱ. However, no matter the rivalry, basketball fans are all united in supporting their teams with painted faces, stadium shaking chants and pre-game rituals, that players and coaches remember long after the game clock stops.

"As a player, I've seen how much the fans impact the game, and I've continued to see both the negative and positive effects that fan behavior has not only on myself, but my family and friends, teammates, coaches and other basketballs fans," said J.J. Redick. "Regardless of what team you pull for I know that everyone can join me in supporting Dove Men+Care and the 'Real Strength Manifesto' because the care and passion we all have for this game is about more than just ourselves, and that's what keeps us coming back every March."

Visit dovemencare.com/ncaa to join other basketball greats by signing your name to the 'Real Strength Manifesto' to support caring fans this March Madness and check out the new short film 'Real Winners Care'. For more #RealStrength visit @DoveMenCare on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Grooming products specifically designed for real, caring men
Dove Men+Care knows that male strength today is about embracing care for oneself and others. 91%of men believe they need to take care of themselves in order to be able to take care of othersⁱⁱ, and Dove Men+Care, the #1 dermatologist recommended men's skincare brand, has a full line of grooming products specifically designed to care for men's skin, face, hair, and underarms. For more information, go to dovemencare.com.

NCAA^® Corporate Partnership
Unilever will spotlight Dove Men+Care during its sixth season as a proud partner of the NCAA^® Division I Men's Basketball Championship. As a leader in personal care, this multi-year commitment includes Unilever's full portfolio of men's and women's personal care brands with exclusive category marketing and promotional rights related to all 90 NCAA^® championship events across 24 men's and women's sports as well as integrated marketing opportunities, retail and print, promotions, online and television advertising. As part of the 14-year multi-media agreement with the NCAA^®, CBS Sports and Turner Sports are licensed and collaborate on the NCAA^®'s corporate marketing program.

About the NCAA^®
The NCAA^® is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA^® provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA^® sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA^® championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA^® and its student-athletes.

About Dove Men+Care US
Dove Men+Care is the first range of products from Dove developed specially for men. Manufactured by Unilever, Dove Men+Care is the #1 dermatologist recommended men's skincare brand. Launched in 2010, the Dove Men+Care portfolio includes bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, and hair care. Dove Men+Care is available nationwide in food, drug, and mass outlet stores.

About Unilever United States, Inc.

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home Care, Personal Care and Refreshment products with sales in more than 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Country Crock, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TIGI, TONI&GUY, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States – generating more than $9 billion in sales in 2016.

The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commits to:

Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.

Unilever ranked number one in its sector on the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

To connect with Unilever U.S. via Facebook visit: www.facebook.com/unileverusa

To connect with Unilever U.S. via Twitter follow: @unileverusa

______________________________
ⁱ 2017 Dove Men+Care 'Real Winners Care' Research Study
ⁱⁱ 2014 Dove Men+Care 'Care Makes a Man Stronger' Research Study

Contact:
Jessica Ostrau/Edelman
(212) 704-4595
[email protected]

SOURCE Dove Men+Care