New Delhi, June 25 Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) will stop using the word 'Fair' in the flagship brand 'Fair & Lovely' with a "more inclusive vision of beauty". The brand is committed to celebrating all skin tones, HUL said.
HUL announced on Thursday the rebranding of its flagship brand Fair & Lovely. Taking forward the brand's journey towards a more inclusive vision of beauty, the company will stop using the word 'Fair' in the brand name 'Fair & Lovely'. The new name is awaiting regulatory approvals and HUL expects to change the name in the next few months. The brand is committed to celebrating all skin tones.
The Fair and Lovely brand has been criticized by some sections for promoting fairness as a symbol of beauty in an Indian milieu where diversity of skin tones is prevalent.
In a statement, it said over the last decade, Fair & Lovely's advertising has evolved to communicate a message of women's empowerment. The brand's vision is to adopt a holistic approach to beauty that cares for people, that must be inclusive and diverse - for everyone, everywhere.
In early 2019, the brand's communication moved away from the benefits of fairness, whitening and skin lightening, towards glow, even tone, skin clarity and radiance, which are holistic measures of healthy skin.
HUL also removed from Fair & Lovely's packaging, words such as 'fair/fairness', 'white/whitening', and 'light/lightening' that could indicate a fairness-led transformation. The cameo with two faces showing shade transformation, as well as the shade guides were removed from the packs. The Company will continue to evolve its advertising, to feature women of different skin tones, representative of the variety of beauty across India.
Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, HUL said, "We are making our skin care portfolio more inclusive and want to lead the celebration of a more diverse portrayal of beauty. In 2019, we removed the cameo with two faces as well as the shade guides from the packaging of Fair & Lovely and the brand communication progressed from fairness to glow which is a more holistic and inclusive measure of healthy skin. These changes were very well received by our consumers.
"We now announce that we will remove the word 'Fair' from our brand name Fair & Lovely. The new name is awaiting regulatory approvals, and the pack with the revised name will be available in the market in the next few months."
HUL said Fair & Lovely is based on pioneering technology that has made multiple skin health benefits available to millions of consumers at an affordable price. The brand has been progressively changing its formulation, and includes other vitamins like B6, C & E, allantoin, known to improve skin health and protect the skin from external aggressors, UV rays and environmental pollution. The product is designed to improve skin barrier function, improve skin firmness and smoothen skin texture - all of which help enhance radiance and glow holistically.
"The brand has never been and is not a bleaching product. In addition to the changes to Fair & Lovely, the rest of our skin care portfolio will also reflect the new vision of positive beauty," it said.
( With inputs from IANS )