End of dark ages: Activists cheer as HUL drops ‘fair’ from skin cream brand name

New Delhi

The company said its other skincare portfolio will also adopt a new holistic vision towards beauty that cares for everyone and celebrates all skin colours.

“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 we expect to change the name in the next few months, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) said in a statement.

As part of the rebranding, the company will also be announcing the new name for the ‘Fair & Lovely’ Foundation, set up in 2003 to offer scholarships to women to help them pursue their education.

HUL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta said that in addition to the changes to Fair & Lovely, the rest of HUL’s skincare portfolio will also reflect the new vision of positive 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,” he added.

These changes were very well received by consumers, Mehta claimed.

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,” he said. Activists were campaigning on Change.Org, a platform where supporters mobilise to seek change in communities, through petitions asking the company to drop the brand or its name.

Chandana Hiran, who started the Change.org petition and calls herself a feminist and change-maker in her Twitter profile, said she thanks Unilever on behalf of more than 10,000 people who had signed her petition.

“I have goosebumps as I read this! Kudos to you @Unilever I’m so so so happy rn. And I thank you on behalf of over 10k people who signed my petition for this to happen,” she tweeted.

The company said it will continue to evolve its advertising, to feature women of different skin tones, representative of the variety of beauty across India.