ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NCAA® March Madness® illuminates the passion of sports fans, with millions cheering on their teams. This support and care from fans fuels the energy of the tournament, which is why Dove Men+Care teamed up with basketball legends, David "The Admiral" Robinson, Shane Battier and more to recreate the "Real Strength Manifesto" – a unifying message for fans that recognizes the impact of their care on the game.

"As an athlete, I have always been impressed by the intimate relationship between the fans and their teams," said Robinson. "When I was playing during college and as a professional, the fans gave me the energy I needed to support my team and be the best player possible. I'm excited to work with Dove Men+Care this March to highlight the positive force of fans heading into the March Madness® tournament."

For the 2018 "Real Strength Manifesto", Dove Men+Care partnered with CBS college basketball analyst and sports writer Seth Davis to interview current and former athletes to better understand the positive ripple effect that fans have on the game. In addition to Robinson and Battier, Davis spoke with Jameer Nelson, Trey Burke, Marques Johnson, Gordon Hayward, Doug McDermott, and Danny Manning. These interviews and impactful stories, combined with Seth's deep understanding of college basketball, inspired and informed the new Real Strength Manifesto.

"Over the years, I've seen firsthand the significant impact of fans on college basketball – the energy, passion, support and care are what make the sport so special," said Davis. "Through my partnership with Dove Men+Care, I drew upon the inspiring stories from some of basketball's greatest legends to honor and reflect on what their experiences with fans has meant to them. What resulted was a Manifesto that celebrates the positive impact fan culture can have on men today during the tournament and beyond."    

Dove Men+Care and the NCAA^® will highlight the Manifesto to celebrate the fans' role in the game during select games in Nashville, Detroit, Dallas and Los Angeles. The Manifesto will be displayed in-stadium while a group of local youth basketball players welcome the participating student-athletes onto the court.

"As a brand that is dedicated to highlighting the care that real men show every day, we are proud to partner with the NCAA to bring the Real Strength Manifesto to life," said Nick Soukas, Vice President of Marketing for Dove Men+Care at Unilever. "In fact, Dove Men+Care research shows that 94% of men believe their best experience at sporting events included a sense of camaraderie with other fans in the standsⁱ. The impact that positive fan culture has on all men, and the next generation, is significant, because of the way that sports can bring us together."

To further bring the spirit of the Manifesto to life and in support of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee's annual Legacy Project, Dove Men+Care and the NCAA are refurbishing a park and basketball court in the Final Four^®-host city. Directly following a dedication ceremony for the opening of the park on Tuesday, March 27, Dove Men+Care and the Positive Coaching Alliance will host a basketball clinic for youth athletes and their families, which will focus not only on skills but also positive fandom and sportsmanship. The Manifesto will also be integrated into the signage at the main entrance of the park and surrounding the basketball court.

Visit Dovemencare.com/NCAA to read, share and embrace the Real Strength Manifesto. 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 othersⁱ, 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^® that runs through 2032, 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. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Google Cloud, Indeed, Infiniti, Intel, Lowe's, Marriott International, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Pizza Hut, Reese's, Unilever and Wendy's.

About Unilever United States, Inc.

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Personal Care, Food & Refreshment and Home Care products with sales in over 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, Country Crock, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Schmidt's Naturals, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington's, St. Ives, Suave, Sundial Brands, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, 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 2017.

Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company's strategy and 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.

The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. Globally, the company's sustainable living brands are growing 50% faster than the rest of the business and delivered more than 60% of the company's growth in 2016.

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

Contact:
Jessica Ostrau/Edelman
(212) 704-4595
Jessica.Ostrau@edelman.com

ⁱ 2017 Dove Men+Care 'Real Winners Care' Research Study

 

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