CINCINNATI — Are you a pretty boy?
A new social media campaign encouraging every boy and man to be a “pretty boy” has Cincinnati Bengal Sam Hubbard playing a starring role.
The “Pretty Boy” moisturizer developed by Kevin Niehoff of Mason and his college roommate at The Ohio State University, Ben Feys, got a huge endorsement last week when Hubbard shared an ad on his Instagram account in which Hubbard proudly slathers on the product with a smile.
In the ad, Hubbard talks about the acne he struggled with in high school at the beginning of his journey to find the right skin care.
“I had acne. I wore a lot of helmets, I try and only put the best in my body. And so it's really just perfect for me,” Hubbard said in the ad.
So how did a small start-up by a couple of young entrepreneurs get a big name like Hubbard to back their product?
Niehoff played football with Hubbard at Ohio State and they remained friends.
“We ended up sending him a bottle just because we thought he really fit our demographic as an active male,” Niehoff said.
“He said it was his favorite moisturizer he’s ever used. He immediately hit us up, wanted to check in and learn more about the brand, was really bought in and decided, hey you know is there any way I can help you guys out?”
Niehoff and Feys did not want to disclose of the deal they struck with their old college friend, but said they were “very, very thankful” for Sam’s support. “He’s the man,” Niehoff said.
Why name the product “Pretty Boy?”
Niehoff said his high school football coach playfully called him “pretty boy” so he and his business partner decided to take that stereotype head on.
“It’s cool to take care of yourself, be the best version of yourself. You know men are into that these days in 2022,” said Niehoff.
“But we also wanted to have a little fun with it. You know guys don’t need to take themselves too seriously. We wanted to kind of create a brand that was welcoming and something that you can kind of have fun with and guys can be comfortable using.”
Co-founder Ben Feys said he and Niehoff interviewed hundreds of men about their skin issues and then went to the experts in developing their first moisturizer product.
“We worked with multiple dermatologists over the past couple of years and what the resounding answer was… you have to use the right ingredients, they have to be gentle, and you have to use them at concentrations that have actually been shown to target the concerns that you actually want to target for guys,” Feys said.
Men want help for dryness and razor burn, but also have interest in everyday maintenance, Feys added.
Deeper than the skin, though, the two men, who met as teens, said they want to encourage young men.
“We both appear to be confident individuals. We both could probably tell you plenty of times that we weren’t, but every guy has those things internally that make them insecure,” said Feys.
“Our mission really is that we inspire men to become healthier and more confident versions of themselves starting with their skin.”
You can find the first “Pretty Boy” product HERE.
Expect to see more products, including one with sunscreen, come out in the next year.
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