Unilever, the consumer goods company whose portfolio includes Axe, Dove, Life Buoy, and Sunsilk, has recently announced that it will cease using the adjective ânormalâ on all its packaging and advertising as part of a new âPositive Beautyâ strategy.
The move comes after Unilever conducted a nine-nation, 10,000 participant study on peopleâs experiences with the beauty industry. The research found that more than half of respondents felt that the products made people feel excluded. 74% wanted the personal care industry to focus more on making people feel better than looking better, and 52% said they pay attention to a brandâs societal positions when making purchasing decisions. Finally, 7 out of 10 people agreed using the term ânormalâ on the packaging and in advertisements had a negative impact. That number goes up to 8/10 among younger consumers ages 18-35.
âWith one billion people using our beauty and personal care products every day, and even more seeing our advertising, our brands have the power to make a real difference to peopleâs lives. As part of this, we are committed to tackling harmful norms and stereotypes and shaping a broader, far more inclusive definition of beauty,â said Sunny Jain, Unilever president of beauty & personal care, in a press release.
