Marketing News

Safety 1st Brand Enters Personal Care Category

Naturals by Safety 1st bubble bath is new to the personal care section at Babies “R” Us retailers.

Dorel Juvenile Group USA, one of the U.S.’s largest manufacturers of juvenile products, has rolled out the Naturals by Safety 1st baby care collection—expanding its well-known Safety 1st brand beyond stair gates and thermometers to products that will pamper junior’s skin.

The Naturals by Safety 1st collection includes five products—shampoo and body wash, daily moisture lotion, intensive moisture cream, diaper rash cream and bubble bath—with ingredient lists that are “all-natural, hypoallergenic and free of dyes, preservatives, and toxic chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, triclosan and formaldehyde,” according to Dorel, which is based in Foxboro, MA.

“For the past 25 years, Safety 1st has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to safety and value and we are excited to bring this same philosophy to our collection of baby care products,” said Dave Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Dorel Juvenile Group.

The products will be available at Babies “R” Us stores and online at babiesrus.com.


Unilever’s Dove for Men was the first consumer product to be advertised on Apple’s new iAD platform. The new ad, designed specifically for Apple’s suite of mobile devices, debuted in July. This summer, Unilever was named the consumer goods presenting advertiser on the new platform.

According to Keith Weed, Unilever’s chief marketing officer “Unilever has always been an innovator in advertising—from the first black & white and color advertising on UK TV, to Dove ‘Evolution’ being the first online ad to win the Lion d’ Or at Cannes—and we are now leading marketing into the digital age where the key will be to unlock the potential of mobile.”

The architect of the Apple deal, Babs Rangaiah, Unilever’s vice president global communications planning said, “We know that 25% of the world is online now, but the next 75% will mostly get online via mobile—and mostly in D&E markets. This partnership will offer us the ability to work within what we believe will be the future of the mobile internet—apps.”


On Sunday, June 27, Luster’s Pink Brand Smooth Touch debuted its “Star Studded” television spot

Scenes from Luster’s new TV spot for Smooth Touch New Growth Relaxer Kit.

featuring LeToya Luckett, the Grammy winning R&B singer-songwriter and actress who has been tapped by the firm as the new face for the brand. The 15-second spot, which aired during the 2010 BET Awards pre-show telecast, showcases Smooth Touch New Growth Relaxer Kit with Triple Strength Olive Oil Conditioner. It is the first television commercial for the Smooth Touch brand.


Clairol Nice ‘n Easy and Angela Kinsey of NBC’s “The Office” have partnered with Dress for Success—a non-profit group that provides professional attire, support and career development tools to disadvantaged women—to launch a unique campaign spotlighting the boost of confidence women receive when they feel good about what they see in the mirror.

The “Mirror Moments” campaign kicked-off at a one-day event in Grand Central Terminal in New York City in early July with an interactive mirror. Women were met by Angela’s virtual appearance within their reflection when they glanced into an oversized mirror.

Consumers can also help benefit Dress for Success Worldwide by visiting Clairol.com, viewing “Candid Camera”-like videos. Each time the video is shared, Nice ‘n Easy pledges to donate $1 to Dress for Success—up to $50,000. In addition to the monetary donation, Nice ‘n Easy will also donate products to help women look their best.


Sure it’s summer, but there’s still a need for hand sanitizer products. Exposure to seasonal flu, summer colds and other respiratory infections, as well as the potential exposure to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from shared towels and sports equipment, creates the need for instant

Stoko Gel Instant Hand Sanitizer.

hand sanitizing products to be used frequently, say experts.

“Although data from the CDC indicate that reported cases of H1N1 influenza have leveled off, mirroring the typical cases of seasonal flu in the summer months, the need to continue the use of ethanol-based hand sanitizers has not decreased. Children attending summer camps and families on vacation should be vigilant about proper hand hygiene,” noted Lori Huffman, marketing manager for Stoko Skin Care, maker of Stoko Gel Instant Hand Sanitizer, which demonstrates a greater than 99% kill in 15 seconds or less against the most common antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause illness, including MRSA andVRE (Vancomycin-resistant enterococci). In addition, it contains a humectant that leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth after the product dries, and does not leave a tacky after-feel.


The oil spill in the Gulf has been devastating to the environment and communities in that area, and to help out, S.C. Johnson (SCJ) is donating approximately 5,000 units of Off! insect spray products to relief agencies, volunteers and government and contractor groups involved in the clean-up effort. SCJ is partnering with non-profit group Gifts in Kind International to distribute the pest control products. The products will be distributed through Gifts in Kind over the next few weeks, according to SCJ.


21-year old NASCAR driver Danny Efland drove the Proactiv Chevy Impala during the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Daytona International Speedway, marking Guthy-Renker’s first-ever NASCAR sponsorship.


At the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, Johnson Products Company named the grand prize winners of The Great Model Search: Denise Durham of Lawrenceville, GA; Jahminah Harris of Detroit, MI; Nicole Hill of Pensacola, FL; and Hamidah Ahmad of Zion, IL. The models, elected by a panel of celebrity judges after a nationwide search, were awarded $5,000 cash, a modeling contract and an opportunity to be the new faces of the company’s Gentle Treatment and Ultra Sheen brands.

The festivities also celebrated JPC’s new ownership. The crowning of the finalists was preceded by a special tribute to JPC founders, George and Joan Johnson. In his remarks,Johnsson ceremonially passed the baton to the new JPC owners, Eric and Renee Brown, the husband and wife management team who purchased JPC from Procter & Gamble in 2009.


Pacific Sands, Inc., a Racine, WI manufacturer of a broad range of environmentally friendly cleaning products, has rolled out Critter Cleaner—a product designed for cleaning domestic and wildlife animals that have been contaminated with oil. Combining the Pacific Sands’ proprietary water-based degreaser technology used in the company’s Natural Choices “Refillables” line, with the oil spill cleanup experience of U.S. Microbics, Inc. management, Critter Cleaner was created to clean off oily residue without using harsh solvents, dyes and chemicals.


Wella Professionals surveyed women to determine just how much they really know when it comes to hair and hair color. In the “Are You Color Savvy?” survey, Wella Professionals asked women 18–49 years old to share the where, how and why they color their hair.

According to Wella, 92% of women have colored their hair at some point in their lives. In addition, the company found the “feel good” aspect was undeniable; a whopping 72% of women felt more attractive after they dyed their hair, 69% felt more confident, 49% felt more sexy and 42% felt more youthful.

When asked about how their hair looked after coloring, more than 80% of women felt their hair was shinier and well-conditioned after getting it colored at a salon.“Colorists have a wealth of knowledge and expertise from years of training and experience working with all different hair types, which they’re happy to share with their clients,” said Wella brand manager Mary Moulton.

To help get the conversation going, the Wella Professionals’ Color Discovery Tour kicked off June 21 in New York City, traveling to eight different cities providing women with free hair consultations with top local salon professionals.


Nutress Hair Products has redesigned its website as part of its social media initiative to promote healthy hair care and wellness. The African-American owned company uses a 2,000-plus member strong Facebook Fan and Friend pages, YouTube channel and Twitter communities to share and promote its company mission.

The recent partnership between Nutress and the online site Girlfriends Health Guide will also help to spread this message. Nutress will be drawing from its community members to be included in its newly developed Brand Ambassador program. Members will be able to test new products as well as give feedback on existing products, according to the company.


Seventh Generation wants Americans to hang it up…their laundry, that is. Approximately 35 billion loads of laundry are washed each year in the U.S. with 90% of the energy used going toward heating the water, according to Project Laundry List, a nonprofit organization committed to educating people about cold water washing and line drying. Nearly six in 10 Americans admit that they would consider washing their clothes in cold water to save energy (56%) or money (55%), according to a new survey commissioned by Seventh Generation and conducted by Kelton Research.

The company asked consumers to take a seven-day challenge during which they would they wash their clothes in cold water with Seventh Generation liquid laundry detergent and line dry them on a clothesline or drying rack.

According to Seventh Generation’s survey, currently 27% of people never line dry and only 22% currently wash all of their clothes in cold water.

The Seventh Generation Seven Day Challenge kicked off on July 1, and ran for the month of July. People who made a pledge were entered into weekly drawings for Seventh Generation products and other prizes.


California businessman and philanthropist Bharat Patel has earned the highest honors in the second annual Procter & Gamble (P&G) Professional “Family Hotelier of the Year” award competition.P&G Professional—the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble which serves the foodservice, building cleaning and maintenance, hospitality and convenience stores industries—partnered with Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), which represents more than 10,000 members owning more than 20,000 hotels that total $128 billion in property value, to create the Family Hotelier of the Year award to celebrate the values central to a successful family business. The grand prize includes a three-day, two-night trip for four to the convention, a plaque and $5,000 in prize money.

Patel is a resident of El Monte, CA and director of operations at his family’s hotel, America’s Best Value Inn & Suites.