Duracell and San Francisco 49er Patrick Willis Challenge Consumers to Trust the Power Within

BETHEL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--No matter where he came from or the circumstances he was dealt, he powered through to defy the odds and become one of the best players in the National Football League (NFL). This NFL season, Duracell, the Trusted Battery Power of the NFL, has teamed up with All-Pro Linebacker Patrick Willis to share his inspiring journey in this video and encourage fans to trust the power within to achieve their dreams. In return for sharing their stories, Duracell will guarantee access to power both on and off the field for future generations through a youth football scholarship fund and school equipment, battery and device donations. All donations will be powered by Duralock with Power Preserve technology, guaranteeing power in storage for up to 10 years¹.

“Trust Your Power is about finding the power within to power through everything life throws at you, in football and in life.”

Consumers can use the #TrustYourPower hashtag on Twitter or share a story of trusting their power on Duracell’s Facebook page to trigger a $1 commitment (up to $200,000) from Duracell, providing disadvantaged youth with scholarships to ProCamps, an organization that runs professional athletes’ personal sports camps for children ages 7-14. If the goal is reached, consumers will help send 1,000 underprivileged kids across the country to one of the approximate 40 different ProCamps of professional athletes.

“Duracell is committed to empowering life without limits and we strive to accomplish that both in the products we create and the programs we develop,“ said Volker Kuhn, general manager for Duracell North America. “We were touched by Patrick’s story of trusting his power to overcome adversity, and with the Trust Your Power program we will give kids in similar situations the opportunity to realize their power both on and off the field.”

“ProCamps is incredibly excited by the steps Duracell is taking to provide underserved children the opportunity to attend a camp where we focus on building character, skills and confidence,” said Eric Liebler, Senior Vice President, ProCamps. “The smiles, knowledge and self-worth these camps produce in children is not something that should be limited by money, so we applaud Duracell and encourage consumers to participate and help power these dreams.”

Willis attributes football for helping him power though the adversity that he faced as a child in rural Bruceton, TN. From a young age, he committed himself to placing the same importance on his studies as he did on the football field, even carrying a flashlight to away games so he could complete his homework on the bus on the way home. For more on Patrick’s inspiring story, consumers can click here to watch his journey to the NFL.

“Trust Your Power is about finding the power within to power through everything life throws at you, in football and in life.” said Willis. “I am passionate about this program with Duracell and helping to make an impact in the lives of kids who may not have this opportunity otherwise.”

In addition to the ProCamps scholarship fund, Duracell and Patrick will be enlisting additional NFL talent to make surprise visits to underfunded schools across the country, providing them with the equipment and battery-powered devices they need to succeed both on and off the field. The battery-powered devices will include power for on and off the field, including stopwatches for training, calculators for the classroom and flashlights as inspired by Patrick’s story.

All of the devices donated will be powered by Duracell with Duralock Power Preserve Technology. Duracell with Duralock is packaged with a ”good until” date and is recognizable by the new Duralock ring providing consumers with instant recognition and the comfort of knowing that Duracell batteries left sitting in a drawer or locker will still work when they are needed most. Whether it’s a CopperTop, an Ultra Power, or a Rechargable battery, Duracell’s Duralock technology means that there’s a battery best suited for every lifestyle. The entire portfolio of Duracell batteries including Ultra (AA/AAA), CopperTop (AA/AAA/C/D/9V), Rechargeable (AA/AAA), Hearing Aid and Coin Button cells will carry a Duralock Power Preserve guarantee.

Consumers can share their stories of trusting their power on Duracell’s Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/Duracell) or by tweeting with the #TrustYourPower hashtag. To learn more about the Trust Your Power program, visit Facebook.com/Duracell.

About Duracell

Part of the Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE:PG], Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in lighting, renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits. Visit www.duracell.com for more information, follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.6 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, Ambi Pur®, SK-II®, and Vicks®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 75 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

ABOUT NFL PLAYERS INC.

NFL PLAYERS INC. is the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association. Representing more than 1,800 NFL players, NFL PLAYERS INC. “takes the helmets off” the players and markets them as personalities as well as professional athletes. Through an exclusive sponsorship agreement with the NFL, players are integrated into NFL sponsor activations. NFL PLAYERS INC. activities include retail licensing, corporate partnerships, player marketing, special events, broadcast and publishing. For more information, please visit NFLPLAYERS.COM.

About ProCamps

Since 1998, ProCamps has developed, managed and operated sports camps and related events for professional athletes and coaches across every major sport. Over 100 of the world's most recognizable professional athletes and coaches have trusted ProCamps to operate their personal camps. Annually over 20,000 participants attend nearly 70+ camps finding inspiration, building confidence, and getting up-close and personal with their heroes. Each camp focuses on education, well-being, and fun as well as community goodwill. Additionally ProCamps has created and executed custom events for Fortune 500 brands. For additional information, please visit www.ProCamps.com. Follow on Twitter @ProCamps and Facebook www.facebook.com/procamps.

¹ Length of power preserve in storage varies by battery type. Ultra (AA/AAA), CopperTop (AA/AAA/C/D) and Lithium Coin are ten years. CopperTop (9V) is five years. Rechargeables (AA/AAA) and Alkaline Coin Button are three years and Hearing Aid (Alkaline) are four years.