Sprint and Suave Partner with Leah Remini to Create Consumer Generated Webisodes

Sprint and Suave Partner with Leah Remini to Create Consumer Generated Webisodes

Mom Content Set to Debut on MSN, Ellen DeGeneres Show and Sprint TV(SM)

NEW YORK, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Actress Leah Remini knows all about the real-life stresses of modern moms as a busy TV sitcom star who also juggles her role as a wife and a mom to her 3-year-old daughter. Remini's latest venture will literally take her motherhood expertise to a new level as she partners with Suave, Sprint (NYSE:S) and MindShare Entertainment for In the Motherhood, a first-ever, mom-focused web series, which will appear on MSN from April 17 through June as well as an integration partnership with the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Beginning in April, moms across the country will have the unique opportunity to write and collaborate with Hollywood screenwriters to create a series of web-based films starring Leah Remini, best known for her comedic role in the "The King of Queens," which is completing a successful nine-year run this year. Directed by Peter Lauer, whose directorial credits include "Malcolm in the Middle", "Arrested Development" and "The Chapelle's Show," each In the Motherhood webisode will profile the ever-hectic yet always humorous lives of three mom girlfriends.

By Moms, For Moms, About Moms

Professional Hollywood screenwriters will develop the characters and story lines for each of the webisodes, but real moms are the real behind-the-scenes stars. Moms will get the chance to tell their real-life stories by logging onto http://www.inthemotherhood.com/, which will prompt them to sound off about universal experiences all moms share such as "your child's worst public meltdown," "how to put the 'me' back in mommy" or "your funniest mother-in-law child-rearing advice."

Participating is easy -- moms literally write out their story in paragraph form and with a few mouse clicks, the story is automatically transformed into a traditional Hollywood script. The online mom community will vote and nominate the best entries, which will then be polished and incorporated into the series of webisodes.

In the Motherhood will launch across multiple platforms and is supported by a fully integrated marketing plan. Besides the unique script writing collaboration, Sprint and Suave are building out an online community at http://www.inthemotherhood.com/ (hosted by MSN), which will offer games, blogging, and peer-to-peer conversation as well as a targeted, viral marketing campaign. The webisodes also can be viewed on suave.com as well as on Sprint TV, which allows mobile access to the content on Sprint Power Vision phones. On broadcast TV, In the Motherhood will be publicized and clips will air on the Ellen DeGeneres Show via 10 weeks of content integration covering everything from the call for entries to airing clips of the five webisodes. In the Motherhood will be further promoted in People magazine.

"With In the Motherhood, we want to give moms a real community where they can not only share in the trials and tribulations and joys of being mothers but also just make them smile and hopefully laugh at the everyday truths of their lives," says Sarah Jensen, Director, Unilever Hair Care. "Plus, we're capturing her attention where she is -- online at MSN, while watching one of her favorite TV shows and even on the go via her Sprint phone."

"Sprint has the powerful products and services to manage and enhance the continuously mobile lives of mothers," says Anita Newton, vice president of marketing at Sprint. "In the Motherhood is a great campaign because it complements what Sprint and Suave can offer women in a forum that celebrates their mutual experiences in a fun and interactive way."

Unique Partnership to Reach Moms

In the Motherhood was created, and produced by MindShare Entertainment as a special joint entertainment marketing initiative for Sprint Nextel and Unilever's Suave brand.

"We are proud to have brokered this very unique partnership between two very distinct brands: a telecom and consumer package goods company," said David Lang, Managing Partner for MindShare Entertainment and the creator of the campaign. "While their products and services are on opposite ends of the spectrum, both brands share a keen understanding of mom's life and offer solutions to help her stay connected and look her best."

Both Suave and Sprint have robust marketing efforts focused on moms. Specifically, Suave has a range of beauty products from hair care to skin care to deodorants that help mom put beauty back on her to-do list. Suave offers moms high quality beauty products at a great price, providing her with guilt free beauty solutions. The Suave ad campaign targets her with lighthearted, startling statistics aimed at showing her that beauty can co-exist among the dirty dishes and piles of laundry. Beyond its advertising, Suave has an exclusive partnership with the Hot Moms Club, an online community of empowered, confident mothers who are committed to redefining motherhood. Additionally, to further understand their mom target, the brand has developed a study of 3,000 moms nationwide, which will offer an in-depth look at the roles moms face today -- not only their roles as mothers but also their roles as women.

Sprint's products and services run on the Sprint National Network to help manage a mother's busy life. The Sprint Music Store(SM) allows moms to wirelessly download a new hit single on a Sprint Power Vision Phone that holds favorite tracks, playlists and more. New features of the Music Store make it easier to use and at a mere 99 cents per download for Sprint Power Vision subscribers makes it affordable to choose from Sprint's library of more than 1.5 million songs while at home or on the go. Sprint Navigation provides audible GPS turn-by-turn directions to the game, the next sales call or a new restaurant, and another GPS application, Sprint Family Locator, gives parents peace of mind in the palm of their hand by keeping track of where the kids are or aren't. Sprint TV provides instant access from Sprint Power Vision phones to the essential information that every mother needs whether it's tomorrow's forecast on the Weather Channel or the latest In the Motherhood webisode release on Ellen TV. Sprint Picture Mail allows mothers to capture and share those unforgettable moments with family and friends without being tethered to a computer or lugging around a camera.

The In the Motherhood web community will launch on MSN April 17 and run through June. The first webisode will air on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 11 and subsequent webisodes will air on May 22, May 29, June 5 and June 12.

Suave

Suave offers more than 300 personal care products including body washes, body lotion, in-shower body lotion, hair care and anti-perspirants/deodorants. A Unilever Home & Personal Care Brand, Suave is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores. Suave, a name that has been trusted for quality and value for 70 years, is purchased by 61 percent of American households each year. Sixteen Suave products are sold every second. For more information, visit http://www.suave.com/.

Unilever [NYSE: UL, UN], one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life. For more information visit http://www.unileverusa.com/.

Sprint:

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks serving more than 53.1 million customers at the end of 2006; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/.

MindShare

MindShare Worldwide is a global media investment management company with billings in excess of $21.5 billion (source: RECMA). The network consists of 97 offices in 67 countries throughout the USA, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. MindShare is a member of WPP, one of the world's leading communications services groups, and part of its GroupM Media Company. For more information, please visit: http://www.mindshareworld.com/.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Source: Suave

CONTACT: Janna Porrevecchio of Weber Shandwick, +1-312-988-2125,
jporrevecchio@webershandwick.com, for Unilever; or Joel Shadle of Sprint, +1-
703-906-2645, Joel.shadle@sprint.com

Web site:

http://www.inthemotherhood.com/
http://www.suave.com/
http://www.unileverusa.com/
http://www.sprint.com/
http://www.mindshareworld.com/

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