Pantene makes a splash with an exciting new campaign featuring one of the most decorated female American athletes. Two-time Olympic swimmer and 11-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin has partnered with the brand to showcase Pantene's performance in achieving healthy, moisturized, shiny hair.

Preview of Natalie Coughlin's Pantene print campaign, which launches in June 2012. (Photo: Business ...

Preview of Natalie Coughlin's Pantene print campaign, which launches in June 2012. (Photo: Business Wire)

Pantene chose Coughlin as their U.S. brand ambassador not only for her vast accomplishments in sports, but also her dedication to a healthy lifestyle and her ability to inspire women to embrace their own strength and femininity. She will appear in all elements of the brand's holistic marketing campaign, including TV and print advertising, in-store displays, digital and social media and a public relations campaign beginning in June 2012.

Coughlin is the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympic Games and is also the first woman ever to win a 100m backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympic Games. In addition to these already stellar achievements, she is two gold medals away from being the most decorated female U.S. Olympian. As she makes her way towards the London 2012 Olympic Games, Coughlin takes on this new role which highlights not only her achievements as an athlete but also her strength in beauty.

"I am so proud to be a part of the new Pantene campaign and appreciate that Pantene is showcasing the beauty of female athletes all around the world. I spend a lot of time in the pool and I need a product that truly performs," says Coughlin. "I trust Pantene to keep my hair beautiful while I focus on my journey to the Olympic Games."

The London 2012 Olympic Games will be monumental for women and for Pantene. The new campaign marks the first time Pantene has used athletes as Brand Ambassadors. In addition to Coughlin, Pantene is proud to sponsor 10 world class female athletes as their newest Brand Ambassadors around the globe. With the addition of women's boxing to the Olympic Games program, the 2012 Olympic Games will have women participating in every Olympic sport for the first time in modern history. This sponsorship is a natural fit for Pantene as the brand heritage is one of health and performance, two values at the heart of Olympic athletes and The Olympic Games.

"Pantene is proud to support these athletes as they compete to win on the world stage. As a beauty brand, we help them look their best, so they shine. Coughlin shares our commitment to health and performance," commented Kevin Crociata, Marketing Director of North American Hair Care at Procter & Gamble. "She loves and trusts our products and, of course, she has healthy looking, beautiful 'Pantene' hair. Pantene is always looking for ways to create products to meet tough hair challenges - even those of Natalie's."

In addition to Pantene's sponsorship of Olympian Natalie Coughlin, Procter & Gamble will continue their "Thank you, Mom" campaign as part of their larger sponsorship of Team USA during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Coughlin attributes her success in swimming to her parents and thanks them both for supporting her at every level throughout her career, especially her mom.

For more information please visit www.Pantene.com. To see upcoming exclusive content of Coughlin, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PanteneNA, visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/Pantene and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Pantene.

About Pantene Pro-V

The Pantene Pro-V line includes customized collections to help provide all women with healthy, beautiful hair: Customized Solutions, Nature Fusion, Restore Beautiful Lengths, Relaxed & Natural, Classic and Expressions. Pantene Pro-V products are available at drug stores, food stores and mass merchandisers.

About the Worldwide TOP Program

TOP stands for The Olympic Partners program. Created in 1985, the TOP program, managed by the IOC, is the only sponsorship with the exclusive worldwide marketing rights to both Winter and Summer Games. As an event that commands the focus of the media and the attention of the entire world for two weeks every other year, the Olympic Games are one of the most effective international marketing platforms in the world, reaching billions of people in over 200 countries and territories throughout the world. Sponsors' support - be it financial, operational or through the provision of products - is crucial to the staging of the Games and the operations of every organisation within the Olympic Movement including the IOC, Organising Committees (OCOGs) and the National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

About P&G

P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company's leadership brands include Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, and Ambi Pur®. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50146302&lang=en

DeVries Public Relations
Marcela Bequillard, 212-891-0413
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