Pantene, a leading haircare brand, has announced it will support 11 elite female athletes as its newest beauty ambassadors who will be featured in its first global marketing campaign to support the Olympic Games.

The athletes will provide proof that, regardless of their training for the Olympic Games, Pantene’s performance helps give them beautiful hair, said a statement from P&G.

The sponsorship is part of its worldwide Olympic partner status with the London 2012 Olympic Games and marks the first time Pantene has featured athletes as beauty ambassadors.

The group will join the likes of celebrities such as Liv Tyler and Eva Mendes, who are featured in Pantene’s iconic campaigns.

Among the athletes are six Olympic gold medalists, numerous world champions and top ranked women in swimming, tennis, gymnastics, cycling, diving and volleyball. These include:

Jaqueline Carvalho (Brazil- Volleyball);  Natalie Coughlin (US - Swimming); Gisela Dulko (Argentina - Tennis); Paola Espinosa (Mexico- Diving); Evgeniya Kanaeva (Russia
- Rhythmic Gymnastics);  Wu Minxia (China - Diving); Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain- Cycling); Annamay Pierse (Canada - Swimming); Aya Terakawa (Japan - Swimming
)

“I spend hours in the pool and I want my hair to look beautiful,” said 11-time US Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin, one of the Pantene-sponsored athletes. “I trust Pantene to make my hair look great so I can concentrate on training.”

“We believe that healthy is the new beautiful and we’re thrilled to add this exceptional group to our select list of global beauty ambassadors. These women are a wonderful fit with our heritage of performance and shine,” said Hanneke Faber, Vice President and Brand Franchise Leader, Global Haircare at P&G.

“Their hair is easily some of the most challenged on the planet and Pantene can take on the task. Our products are designed to perform under demanding conditions,” she added.

According to her, additional athletes will be named later. The Pantene campaign leading up to and during London 2012 includes holistic and integrated support in advertising, retail, online and PR channels.

It is part of P&G’s Worldwide Olympic Partner status, which is anchored by the ‘Thank You, Mom’ campaign for the London Olympics.

The campaign will help improve life for mothers around the world and provide support for the moms of the Pantene athletes and the moms of thousands of other Olympians.-TradeArabia News Service