Unilever has announced that it will eliminate the word ‘normal’ from all of its beauty and personal care brands’ packaging and advertising, as part of the launch of its new Positive Beauty vision and strategy.
Vision for Sustainable Beauty Products
Positive Beauty, which sets out several progressive commitments and actions for Unilever’s beauty and personal care brands, including Dove, Lifebuoy, Axe and Sunsilk, will champion a new era of beauty which is equitable and inclusive, as well as sustainable for the planet.
Using Unilever’s world class innovation and technology, Positive Beauty will also help to drive a transformation in how the products are designed and formulated so that they do more good for both people and the planet, deliver a superior product experience, and tap into consumer trends.
Far More Inclusive Definition of Beauty
The decision to remove ‘normal’ is one of many steps that Unilever is taking to challenge narrow beauty ideals, as the company work towards helping to end discrimination and advocating for a more inclusive vision of beauty. It comes as global research into people’s experiences of the beauty industry reveals that using ‘normal’ to describe hair or skin makes most people feel excluded.
The 10,000-person study, which was commissioned by Unilever, was conducted across nine countries. The study revealed that:
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More than half of people (56 percent) think that the beauty and personal care industry can make people feel excluded
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People want to see the beauty and personal care industry focusing more on making people feel better, than just looking better (74 percent)
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More than half of people (52 percent) say they now pay more attention to a company’s stance on societal issues before buying products
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Seven in ten people agree that using the word ‘normal’ on product packaging and advertising has a negative impact. For younger people – those aged 18-35 – this rises to eight in ten
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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,” said Sunny Jain, president Beauty & Personal Care.
Source: Unilever