AXE HAIR LAUNCHES TO GIVE GUYS GIRL-APPROVED HAIR

New Survey Reveals Bad Hair is Hurting Guys Game and Guys Have No Idea

CHICAGO (Dec. 2, 2008) /PRNewswire/ — AXE, the leader in men's grooming, has created a hair care line designed specifically to meet guys' needs and give them girl-approved hair. The reality is that bad hair is hurting guys' game and they have no idea. AXE created the solution with the launch of AXE Hair – a complete line of shampoos, a conditioner and styling products that gives guys a new edge in the mating game. AXE Hair is the most significant innovation since the brand entered the North American market in 2002.

New research from AXE confirms that girls care a lot about guys' hair¹. In fact, nearly three of out of four (74 percent) agree that hair is one of the first things they notice about a guy. Guys, however, incorrectly believe that girls consider their personality more important than their hair². What's worse – 85 percent of guys think their hair is pretty good, but less than half of girls agree that guys have great hair.

"With the introduction of AXE Hair, we see a tremendous opportunity to meet guys' needs and help them navigate the mating game," said David Rubin, marketing director for AXE Hair. "Our products are based on the consumer insight that guys groom to get the girl. AXE Hair is specifically designed to create hair that guys want and girls love."

AXE HAIR SOLVES HAIR ERRORS AND PROVIDES HOLD WITHOUT ALL THE HARD

When AXE talked to more than 2,000 girls, they revealed specific hair errors that turn them off: Gunky, crunchy, poofy and flaky. AXE Hair features five shampoos and one conditioner designed to solve these specific hair errors to give guys a clean she will notice and soft, touchable hair. The line also features a new generation of styling products that are emollient-based to provide hold without all the hard. According to the survey, nearly 90 percent of girls agree that hard, crusty, over-gelled hair turns them off. AXE Hair does not include gel. The styling products are organized by end-look, such as messy, spiked-up, clean-cut and shaggy, to help guys find what works best for them.

"I've been working with guys for more than a decade and I've found that many need help with their hair, since not all guys have someone like me to make them look great," said celebrity hair stylist and grooming expert for AXE Hair, Diana Schmidtke, who styles some of Hollywood's most notable leading men. "I love AXE Hair products because they help guys with common hair errors, and the styling products take the guess work out of creating distinct girl-approved looks."

AXE is known for the great fragrances in its bodysprays, shower gels, anti-perspirants and deodorants, and AXE Hair is no different. AXE Hair products feature an herbal scent with top notes of fruit and birch leaf on a cedar wood base, providing a smell that is fresh and masculine.

AXE Hair includes:

• Shampoos
  • AXE Just Clean Shampoo provides a fresh scent and invigorating feel for a clean she'll notice
  • AXE De-Glue Shampoo + Scrub features rock crystals and removes the gunky product build-up blocking guys' game
  • AXE De-Poof Shampoo features a hydrating Kukui blend and deflates poofy hair to inflate guys' appeal
  • AXE Anti-Dandruff Shampoo + Conditioner offers zinc-based dandruff control because girls don't dig flakes
  • AXE 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner combines cleansing and conditioning to speed up guys' clean and their game

• Conditioner
  • AXE Just Soft Conditioner leaves hair so soft she won't be able to keep her hands out of it

• AXE Styling Products
  • AXE Messy Look Paste gives hair a messy, just-out-of-bed look she'll want to run her hands through
  • AXE Spiked-Up Look Putty gives hair hold without all the hard crunch of gel that girls hate
  • AXE Clean-Cut Look Pomade gives guys a girl-approved polished look without appearing wet
  • AXE Shaggy Look Cream gives longer manes an easygoing look for hair she can't resist

AXE Hair shampoos and conditioner are available at mass retail outlets for $4.99 for a 12-oz. bottle. AXE Hair styling aids are available at mass retail outlets for $5.99 for a 2.64-oz. jar; enough for 75 uses.

For the summary of the survey results, please click here.

About AXE

AXE, the leader in men’s grooming, is an iconic personal care brand around the world that helps guys look, smell and feel their best. The Unilever-manufactured brand is available in a line of deodorant bodysprays, deodorant and anti-perspirant sticks, shower gels and hair care products. Axe is the No. 1 male Anti-Perspirant Deodorant brand in the U.S. The shower gel, launched in 2005, reached No. 1 status five months after hitting shelves. The brand’s mission is to help guys get the girl with grooming products that reflect individual personality and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.theaxeeffect.com.

About Unilever

Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.

In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 14,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $11 billion in sales in 2007. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

¹National survey of 2,500 girls 18-24 conducted by StrategyOne June and July 2008;
²National survey of 1,000 guys 18-24 conducted by StrategyOne September 2008