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Icy Hot Introduces PRO Product Line and PRO Time Off Campaign

Encourages Everyday Athletes to Rest and Recover

Icy Hot Squad

Icy Hot Squad

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. -- Most professional athletes get time off after big games or sporting events to rest and recover. If pros get time off, why shouldn’t everyday athletes who take on pro-level feats? Without the crucial time to rest and recover, athletes may have a higher risk of injury or loss of ability to perform in their next event.

To raise awareness of the importance of proper rest and recovery, Icy Hot’s new PRO line – a next-level* pain reliever for muscles and joints that have been pushed to their limits – launched “PRO Time Off”: a campaign that is recognizing the stories of everyday athletes putting in PRO-level effort and encouraging them to get the proper recovery so they can be game-ready for the next event.”

After a major competition, such as a marathon or cycling event, many everyday athletes have to work or exert themselves the very next day, but a recent survey found that most competitors who work (82%) say the mental and physical exertion of an event has a negative impact on their ability to work the next day and a full quarter (25%) admit they’ve had to use unplanned leave to recuperate following an event.

Conducted by Wakefield Research, a new survey developed for the PRO Time Off campaign found that amateur athletes (marathon runners, cyclists, etc.) often must make tough choices between pursuing an athletic goal and their commitment to work. Results include:

A note from the Icy Hot Squad

A note from the Icy Hot Squad advocating for weekend warriors to receive PRO Time Off from their jobs following an athletic event

  • A full 7 in 10 amateur athletes with jobs (70%) say they’ve taken planned leave time, while a full quarter (25%) admit they’ve had to use unplanned leave to recuperate following an event.
  • A full 1 in 5 competitors who are employed (20%) say their current manager or employer is not very, or even not at all, likely to give them a day off after a competition or event. This is particularly true for those under age 35 (26%), compared to 16% of those age 35 and above.
  • While most amateur athletes (82%) have taken some time off work after an event to rest, not everyone can get paid during that time. A sizable group of these dedicated amateur athletes have taken time off without pay, with nearly 3 in 10 employed amateur athletes (29%) having taken an unpaid day off to recuperate.
  • Nearly two in three employed amateur athletes (64%) say they’ve skipped a competition or event because it would interfere with their ability to work the next day, and 29% have done so multiple times.
  • Among those amateur athletes who say their events or competitions have at least a moderately negative impact on their work performance the next day, 78% have skipped an event for that reason. Less than half (47%) of those who say their events or competitions have little or no negative impact on their work have skipped a competition.
  • More than half of competitors (55%) say having their employer support their physical goals and the training required to meet them is very or extremely important in their next job hunt. Nearly 1 in 5 competitors (19%) take their training seriously enough that they would turn down a job offer if the employer did not support their physical training and goals.

As part of the campaign, the Icy Hot Squad, including long-time brand ambassador Shaquille O’Neal, Grand Slam Women’s Tennis Champion Sloane Stephens, Pro Bowl Football Tight End for the Las Vegas Raiders Darren Waller and US Women’s Soccer star Rose Lavelle, developed the PRO Time Off Toolkit which provides information on how to get a day off from your employer and the relief your body deserves at PROTimeOff.com.
The toolkit includes:

  • Videos from the IH Squad encouraging everyday athletes to take Pro Time Off
  • A note from the Icy Hot Squad advocating for weekend warriors to receive PRO Time Off from their jobs following an athletic event
  • Top 5 tips for advocating for PRO Time Off
  • A Rise from Pain graphic poster

Icy Hot® PRO was made for muscles and joints that’ve been pushed to their limits so you can perform at your best. PRO delivers the powerful combination of two maximum-strength pain relievers: 16% menthol and 11% camphor. Together, they attack more points of pain* than either can alone — it’s a one-two punch.

PRO is available in a cream, dry spray and no-mess applicator, MSRP starting at $13.99. Products are available at all major retailers and online at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy. Price may vary by retailer.

*Versus menthol-only products

Contact:
Diana Torres-Bixby, Salutem
[email protected]
917-686-0517