NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Right Guard® brand today announced an extension of their marketing partnership that will make the Official Deodorant of the NBA the presenting partner of Noche Latina (Latin Night) 2011.

As the league’s marquee program under the éne•bé•a platform, Noche Latina celebrates the league’s Hispanic heritage with special national telecasts, in-arena festivities, and distinctive NBA team uniforms.  The program presented by Right Guard® is supported through television on both English- and Spanish-language media across the country, as well as on the league’s Spanish-language website, www.enebea.com, and social media pages.

This year, Noche Latina celebrations will get underway at NBA All-Star 2011 in Los Angeles with a Noche Latina party at All-Star presented by Right Guard® on Thursday, Feb. 17.  The launch event will include live performances by Dominican singer songwriter Vicente Garcia, music by Miami Heat’s DJ Irie, and appearances by NBA players, NBA legends, and Hispanic celebrities. It will also celebrate Right Guard brand’s 50^th anniversary with a special retrospective look at its past advertising campaigns.

Following All-Star weekend, Noche Latina presented by Right Guard® will continue in March with street teams in eight Noche Latina markets: Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, San Antonio, Orlando, and New York. Street teams will visit local neighborhoods, street festivals, and community fairs with high Hispanic traffic to engage fans with contests, Right Guard® product samples and branded premium giveaways, and match-up information for Noche Latina 2011 presented by Right Guard®.

“Right Guard® is proud to celebrate the passion of the game with Hispanic fans and communities. Noche Latina is a fantastic opportunity to commemorate the Right Guard® heritage as well as introduce our new Right Guard® Body Wash,” said Right Guard® Vice-President of Marketing Toby Gubitz.

“Our expanded relationship with Right Guard® is the perfect example of the ongoing commitment by the NBA and its partners to celebrate diversity as part of the fabric of our game,” said NBA Senior Director of Hispanic Marketing Saskia Sorrosa. “This partnership will extend what has historically been a month-long celebration into six full weeks of events that will bring the excitement of the NBA to Hispanic fans in ways that are culturally relevant.”

Noche Latina merchandise, including the special game jerseys produced by adidas, will be available at Champs Sports retail stores, online at NBAStore.com, and at in-arena stores for participating teams.

Noche Latina launched during the 2006-07 NBA season and, features uniforms that display the team name as spoken by the Latin population.  The Miami Heat, for example, is “El Heat”; the San Antonio Spurs are referred to as “Los Spurs.”

About éne•bé•a
(eh-nay-bay-ah) is the NBA’s comprehensive initiative to grow the game of basketball throughout the expanding U.S. Hispanic market.  The NBA brings initiatives focused exclusively towards Hispanic fans under a platform that includes media, events, grassroots, and merchandising programs. Sixteen percent of the NBA’s total fanbase is Hispanic.  Six U.S.-born Latino players and 19 players from Spain and Latin America are on 2010-11 season rosters. The NBA has played 26 preseason games and one regular-season game in Latin America.

About Henkel
Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 50,000 people and reported sales of $18.86 billion and adjusted operating profit of $1.84 billion in fiscal 2009. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX and the company ranks among the Fortune Global 500. Henkel markets a wide range of well-known consumer and industrial brands in North America, including Dial® soaps, Purex® laundry detergents, Right Guard® antiperspirants, got2b® hair gels, and Loctite® adhesives. Visit www.henkelna.com for more information.