Deodorant, offering 10 times more odor protection coverage when used together, according to P&G.
Axe's latest campaign in personal cleansing— Showerpooling—is designed to educate men and women on the importance of water conservation in the US, and naturally, Unilever takes a tongue-in-cheek approach that fans have come to expect. The Showerpooling campaign features animated videos narrated by Twilight actress and Axe ambassador Nikki Reed and an online pledge to save water. Axe's Showerpooling tour is heading to college campuses to distribute 7,000 water-efficient Delta showerheads and the brand is making a $10,000 donation to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a non-profit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water.
A Kinder, Heavy Duty Clean?
Asking men to conserve water is one thing, but when it comes to personal cleansing habits, the world might benefit if they took a refresher course on hand hygiene.
In a recent survey, away-from-home hygiene brand SCA, maker of Tork products, found that more than one third of men admit they do not wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the public restroom at work compared to 20% of women. And men are also less likely than women to wash their hands after handling garbage, touching animals or sneezing or coughing.
But what about when they get really dirty—such as after working in the shop, fixing the car or any other so-called manly endeavor? That's where heavy-duty cleansers often get the call as these workhorse products are formulated to tackle the toughest grease, grime and grunge.
Two new brands are looking to stake a claim in the category, which unfortunately suffered a dramatic decline in sales in the past year.
One new entrant is Hands Maid, developed by Wrenchers Body Products LLC as an alternative to harsh cleaners. Created out of necessity by an car restoration enthusiast, Hands Maid is a saving grace for workers with"dirty jobs" in fields such as industrial trades, machine work, landscaping, farming and automotive, according to Edward Buscis, managing member of the Fallbrook, CA firm.
eco-minded firm has rolled out a 2-in-1 Dish + Hand soap in a bottle made from a blend of ocean-recovered plastic and post-con-sumer recycled plastic. This limited edition packaging, an industry first, is available exclusively at Whole Foods.
"our goal with ocean plastic packaging is to show that the most viable solution to our plastic pollution problem is using the plastic that's already on the planet. Method's ocean plastic bottle demonstrates in the extreme that recycling is possible," said adam lowry, Method co-founder and chief greenskeeper.
Buscis."This market has typically been dominated by petrochem-ical-based products. Offering this alternative is really very exciting. We know of no other products to equal it in the marketplace." What sets Hands Maid apart, according to its creator, is the absence of pumice as a key ingredient. Instead, Hands Maid is formulated with walnut shell to exfoliate.
Meanwhile, Deb Group, a Charlotte, NC-based away-from-home skin care company and inventor of foam soap dispensing systems, has launched GrittyFoam, a new heavy-duty industrial hand-cleansing foam with suspended bio-scrubbers. The product is said deliver the performance and effectiveness of traditional heavy-duty hand cleansers in a foam format to gently remove tough soils while making hands feel great. Delivered through the company's proprietary dispensing system, GrittyFoam helps address the challenge of reducing the potential for occupational dermatitis in the industrial sector, according to Deb, which has secured USDA Bio-Preferred status for the product.
The soap, bath and shower product category has been in a slow recovery—the US market rose 2.1% in 2011 after declining 1.5% in 2010, according to Mintel—but the biggest challenge remains the economy. Drivers will continue to be the perennial qualities consumers want in their modern personal cleansers—moisture, fragrance and antibacterial protection, according to industry observers who spoke with HAPPI.
In addition, consumers should continue to see a growing number of products designed for specific users.
"Key trends that we are seeing in market are increased segmentation; ie, body wash for women, men and kids," said Calderone of Dial, noting that Dial has added Hello Kitty body wash, bar and liquid hand soap to its mix of products, taking the brand beyond its traditional men and women/all family areas.
And Calderone pointed to another tactic that can help a soap brand—or any HBA marketer, for that matter—grow in a difficult economic climate.