Abby Elliott & More to Headline AXE Hair's SPLITTING HAIRS Comedy Tour

Guys, take note. Girls are paying extra close attention to your hair, and it can make or break a first impression: a recent survey conducted by AXE Hair found that 73 percent of girls listed hair as one of the first things they notice about a guy.1 

To help put the spotlight on this ever-important issue of attraction while bringing guys and girls together for good times, AXE Hair has teamed up with young comedians from both sides of the gender divide to create the "Splitting Hairs" Comedy Tour in conjunction with Comedy Central.

Kicking off at the New York Comedy Festival on November 9, each "Splitting Hairs" live show will feature the sharp tongues and quick wits of comedians Abby Elliott and Owen Benjamin. These two distinctive personalities will provide humorous girl/guy perspectives on the importance of first impressions and the different ways that girls and guys think, particularly when it comes to appearances and guys' hair. The show will feature live and pre-taped segments, audience participation, and some fun surprises along the way. Comedian David Koechner will serve as moderator and guide the flow of the performance.

"Since I went bald at 14, I've had to rely on my personality and charm to score with the girls," said Koechner. "I'm excited to see what I've been missing out on all these years. Hold on to your hair because it's going to be a wild ride."

To uncover attraction truths that will be discussed by the comedians during the tour, AXE surveyed 1,000 guys and girls, aged 18-24 years old and found that: 66% of girls said the quality or style of a guy's hair can make him more or less attractive. More than half of girls agreed that it's important to date a guy who has similar standards for their hair as their own

Six out of ten girls admitted they wouldn't be interested in touching a guy's hair if it looked greasy or dirty, so wannabe rock stars and hipsters beware

"We're thrilled to have talented comedians to provide a no-holds-barred look into the attraction game from both sides of the gender aisle," said David Rubin, marketing director for AXE Hair. "The show really brings to life how first impressions, like the right or wrong hairstyle, can play into the ultimate success or failure for guys."

Following the premiere in New York City on November 9, the tour will stop in five more cities across the U.S., including:

Pittsburgh, PA on November 12 at 8:00 p.m. – Pittsburgh Improv Comedy Club
Cincinnati, OH on November 13 at 8:00 p.m. – Levee Funny Bone Comedy Club
Louisville, KY on November 14 at 8:00 p.m. – Louisville Improv Comedy Club
Nashville, TN on November 15 at 8:00 p.m. – Zanies Comedy Club
Columbia, SC on November 16 at 8:00 p.m. – The Comedy Zone

To round out the tour, AXE Hair will be a premier sponsor of the third annual Variety Power of Comedy fundraiser on Saturday, November 17 at the Avalon Hollywood. Hosted by Joel McHale and honoring Seth MacFarlane, the night will showcase a number of comedic performances, including AXE Hair's very own Owen Benjamin, to support the Noreen Fraser Foundation, which raises funds for women's cancer research.

To learn more about AXE Hair's "Splitting Hairs" Comedy Tour and find out how to get tickets in your city, visit http://www.comedycentral.com/splitting-hairs. To learn more about AXE Hair's association with The Power of Comedy event, visit
http://www.variety.com/events/2012/power-of-comedy/.

About AXE

AXE, a leader in men's care, 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 men's grooming brand in the U.S., excluding shaving hardware, and achieved this status only seven years after launch. Including deodorant bodysprays, AXE is the largest men's deodorant brand in the U.S.

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 North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 190. With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. In the United States and Canada the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, fds, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Ragu, Simple, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemme, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or 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 13,000 people across North America –generating over $9 billion in sales in 2011. For more information visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.

About Variety's Power of Comedy

Now in its third year, Variety's Power of Comedy spotlights and celebrates the top entertainers working in comedy today. Event proceeds benefit the Noreen Frasier Foundation (www.noreenfraserfoundation.org). Variety is the leading publication for business entertainment news, recognized and respected throughout the world of show business. The Variety Group – Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Variety, Variety.com, LA 411, Variety 411 – are owned by Variety Media, LLC, a division of Penske Business Media.