Dove Men+Care Signs Not-Famous Athletes With Famous Names To Launch SportCare
Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 12:43PM By Barry Janoff
August 27, 2019: Chris Paul, Sean Williams and Alvin Suarez have signed deals to help Dove Men+Care unveil SportCare, a line of bodywash, shampoo and deodorant products for active men.
Not THE Chris Paul (NBA All-Star), Serena Williams or Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona, Nascar driver Daniel Suarez or Eugenio Suarez of MLB's Cincinnati Reds, but “everyday athletes” with whom they share famous names.
According to Dove Men+Care, research showed that 70% of men want to see “everyday athletes better represented in sports media.“
With that as a premise, the brand said it is “shifting conversations from the professionals to the everyday athletes whose stories deserve to be celebrated.”
The famous athletes themselves (and future potential additional athletes) whose names are in the campaign are not officially connected with the effort.
According to a Dove Men+Care spokesperson, ”We are not working with any professional athletes at this time, but identified everyday athletes who let us know they share names (first and last, or just last) with pro athletes they look up to.”
Dove Men+Care’s Chris Paul, a Marine Corps vet from San Diego uses biking, hiking and running, to connect with other men. He has created a “support base for men to help each other through their fitness journey and hold each other accountable”
Williams, a volunteer firefighter from Farmingville, NY, said he uses sports and exercise to help his community. In 2016 formed The Dad Gang, which “tackles stereotypes of what it means to be a Black father and challenges these stigmas through events centered around physical fitness”
Suarez, from New York, who grew up visually-impaired, “was told that he wouldn't be given chances to succeed in life, especially as a great athlete.” But while in school he discovered Goalball, a sport for the visually-impaired that relies on ear-hand coordination, which has “given him the confidence and endurance to pursue other sports . . . which is hopes inspires others.”
Also part of the campaign is the real ESPN anchor Kevin Negandhi.
"The athletes of SportCare prove that every athlete can inspire by showing extraordinary care," said Negandhi via the brand.
"Dove Men+Care is committed to promoting a culture where men can confidently show care as a proud part of their masculinity, and many real athletes do that every day on the court, in the gym and at home with their families," Amy Stepanian, marketing director for Dove Men+Care, said via the Unilever brand.
"When we created a product line for athletes, we wanted to address the needs of every man who defines himself as one, not just those who have been elevated up the ranks of their sport.”
Dove Men+Care said these men would be featured as the faces of the new product range in campaign imagery, will share their stories during marquee sports conferences and will show why it is “important for all athletes to be represented in the media and in marketing, particularly for products that are designed for active men.”
According to Stepanian., “We have signed on amazing athletes, who deserve the same level of praise and attention because of the way they show care, as any professional that might share their names."
Back to Home Page