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Guys, Breathe Easy - New Survey Suggests Women May Expect Less This Valentine's Day

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 February 2009, 07:00 CST

CHICAGO, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Flowers, chocolates, dinner and jewelry! A "romantic" Valentine's Day or a month's rent? With the economy in the toilet, it's hard to justify spending $400 on one cliche-filled night, especially when almost 50 percent of girls said they aren't expecting much this Valentine's Day(1). Dark Temptation, the new chocolate-inspired fragrance from AXE, a leader in men's grooming, partnered with dating and relationship expert Amy Spencer to help guys buck tradition and think outside the heart-shaped box.

INSTEAD OF: Expensive dinner on the town

WHY DON'T YOU: Tailgate for breakfast. Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday this year, providing an additional nine hours of free time to impress your lady love. Start her day with a surprise of pancakes -- heart shaped if you'd like -- and her favorite non-fat, no-foam latte. Or, add a surprise by moving the coffee maker and toaster into the bedroom so she can watch and smell her breakfast being made.

INSTEAD OF: Red roses (worse yet, delivered to her office) costing upwards of $100

WHY DON'T YOU: Have something ELSE delivered. Roses and carnations are no good. Think of something unique and unexpected like peonies or hibiscus -- large, bold, tropical flowers of the same color are your best bet. Or, call a local grocery store and request a special delivery of your girlfriend's favorite treats. Think childhood favorites such as sugar cookies, orange soda and candy.

INSTEAD OF: Heart-shaped box of chocolates

WHY DON'T YOU: Become as irresistible as chocolate. A box of chocolates is boring, but chocolate itself is still irresistible. In fact, one survey found that 70 percent of women around the globe ranked chocolate as more irresistible than shopping, jewelry or even sex(2). Find new ways to indulge your girl's love of chocolate: pick up some salted caramel chocolates (the hot new trend in sweets) from your local chocolaterie and wear AXE Dark Temptation, the new chocolate-inspired fragrance, for dessert. You'll satisfy her appetite and her desire!

INSTEAD OF: Fancy (and often stuffy) five-star restaurant

WHY DON'T YOU: Go somewhere unexpected. One study showed that women transfer the feelings they have about a room to their feelings about the people they are with. Take her to a stuffy restaurant and she'll think you're stuffy. Instead, try a local tapas joint or an Indian restaurant. Picking an ethnic food will make you seem daring and adventurous. Tapas are great because of the smaller plate sizes, which are usually cheaper than full entrees. Or, add an aspect to the date that jumpstarts her heart rate, like a scary movie, and she'll relate the butterfly feelings to you.

INSTEAD OF: Jewelry

WHY DON'T YOU: Add something personal. Sixty-two percent of girls said they're expecting their boyfriends to spend less than $30 this Valentine's Day. Instead of wasting money on expensive jewelry, give a gift with a personal touch for 20 bucks or less, such as the newly-released DVD she's wanted to see or the best-selling book you heard her talking about. She'll be thrilled with her gift and you'll get bonus points for remembering.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Amy Spencer is available to discuss her tips for a budget-friendly, cliche-free Valentine's Day.

ABOUT AMY SPENCER

Amy Spencer is a relationship expert who currently writes about relationships, celebrities and lifestyles for Glamour, Maxim, Real Simple, Match.com, Cosmopolitan, Page Six magazine, Harper's Bazaar, New York, Angeleno, Redbook, Women's Health, Prevention, the New York Post, and MSN.com among other publications. Amy was most recently a radio host on Sirius satellite's Maxim108, for Sex Files, a weekly live call-in advice show about love, sex and relationships. Prior to hosting, she held the post of resident relationship expert on the Maxim channel, and appeared weekly on The Covino & Rich Show.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit http://www.axedarktemptation.com. AXE Dark Temptation bodyspray and shower gel is the newest way AXE gives guys an edge in the mating game. Available at most food, drug and mass retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $4.99 each.

ABOUT AXE

AXE, a leader in men's grooming, 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 male Anti-Perspirant Deodorant brand in the U.S. The shower gel, launched in 2005, reached No. 1 status five months after hitting shelves.

The brand's mission is to help guys get the girl with grooming products that reflect individual personality and lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.theaxeeffect.com.

ABOUT UNILEVER

Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.

In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are 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 14,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico -- generating nearly $11 billion in sales in 2007. For more information, visit http://www.unileverusa.com.

Contact: Emily Zielinski Edelman 312-233-1293 emily.zielinski@edelman.com (1) Survey of 1,009 U.S. women ages 18 - 34 conducted in January 2009 by Impulse Research Corporation (2) Online Survey of 3,571 women ages 18 - 35 in 13 countries conducted in November 2007 by DatosClaros Research Opinion

SOURCE Unilever

Source: PR Newswire

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