HUL challenges beauty stereotypes, decides to drop 'normal' from ads, personal care products

The Glow & Lovely and Dove manufacturer Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has decided to eliminate the word 'normal'--widely used in skin and hair products-- from advertising and packaging of all its personal and beauty care products.  The decision comes as HUL plans to demolish stereotypes as consumer activism takes centre stage across the planet.

Priya Nair, HUL's Executive Director, beauty and personal care, said that the decision to remove the word 'normal' is one of many initiatives that the FMCG firm is taking to challenge narrow beauty ideals in order to end discrimination and embrace a more inclusive vision of beauty, according to a report in the Economic Times.

Plenty of skincare and haircare brands widely use 'normal' to refer to skin and hair type that's neither too 'dry' nor too 'oily'. Nair said that with increasing awareness among consumers, they have started rejecting such notions.

Nair, citing data by Unilever on consumer perception of beauty, said over eight in 10 people think that using 'normal' on beauty product packaging and advertising has a negative impact on society as it makes people excluded and inculcate feelings of 'self-doubt'.

The country's largest FMCG company, which manufactures products like Lux, Dove, Vaseline, Pond's,  Sunsilk, confirmed that it will remove the word 'normal' from its communications as part of a worldwide drive by its parent Unilever, which is likely to be implemented next year.

Additionally, the HUL has also decided not to alter a person's skin colour, body size, or shape in its brand advertising. The food-to-homecare manufacturer said it will include people from diverse groups who are under-represented in its future advertisements.

Last year, HUL dropped the word 'fair' from its ubiquitous face cream brand 'Fair & Lovely' and renamed it 'Glow & Lovely' due to the protests related to gender discrimination and stereotyping based on the colur of skin, following the death of an African American named George Floyd in the US.Also read: India 'at forefront' in fighting COVID-19, 'stands out' in vaccine policy, says IMF's Gita Gopinath

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