Unilever announced this week that it will remove the word “normal” from its beauty and personal care products and their ads in a move to be more inclusive.
The FMCG giant, which owns brands such as Dove, Simple, Sure, Axe, Vaseline and Suave, will change the packaging of more than 200 hair and skin-care products. Currently the packaging for some Unilever products such as shampoos or lotions describe the products as suitable for “normal to oily hair” or for “normal skin.” The policy aims to change such descriptions.
Unilever will also stop digitally altering “a person’s body shape, size, proportions or skin colour, and to increase the number of ads portraying people from diverse, under-represented groups.”
The move comes after the company surveyed 10,000 people across nine countries and found that 70% of people regarded the word “normal” on beauty product packaging as having a negative effect. The survey also revealed that consumers want a broader definition of beauty and what is regarded as “normal.” Participants wanted to see a more inclusivity in ads as well.
“With 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 people’s lives. As part of this, we are committed to tackling harmful norms and stereotypes and shaping a broader, far more inclusive definition of beauty,” says Sunny Jain, President of Unilever Beauty & Personal Care.
As part of its Positive Beauty campaign, Unilever announced the launch of the Crown Fund in January, which aims to end hair discrimination in the workplace.
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