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Unilever Removes ‘Normal’ from All Beauty and Personal Care Packaging, Advertising

Seven in 10 people think using the word “normal” in marketing has a negative impact.
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Francis Scialabba

less than 3 min read

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According to Unilever, the new normal = no normal. Yesterday, the consumer goods company erased the word “normal” from all packaging and advertising for its beauty and personal products.

  • The move comes alongside Unilever’s new “Positive Beauty” vision and strategy, which is grounded in inclusivity.

Fact and figures: A 10,000-person global study commissioned by Unilever and shared with Marketing Brew found that:

  • Seven in 10 people think using the word “normal” in marketing has a negative impact.
  • Six in 10 said the beauty industry creates “a singular notion” of what’s normal.
  • And 63% said axing “normal” would make them feel better about their appearance.

More facts, more figures: The sentiment echoes beyond Unilever research.

  • Recent data from Marketer Must Read and Morning Consult says only 29% of US women feel accurately represented in advertising.
  • And in another MMR survey with Burns Group’s BrandInformers, the majority of responses from 500 US women proved they want advertising that’s generally more inclusive of size and ethnic differences.

Looking ahead: Keep word choice in mind for your own female-targeted brand strategies—unless they’re female robots, who we can only assume love “normalcy.”

Get marketing news you'll actually want to read

Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.