Sunsilk is a hair care brand, primarily aimed at women, produced by the Unilever group. Sunsilk is Unilever’s leading hair care brand, and ranks as one of the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate's “billion dollar brands". Sunsilk shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products are sold in 69 countries worldwide.
Sunsilk is sold under a variety of different names in markets around the world including Elidor, Seda and Sedal. The brand is strongest in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and is the number one hair care brand in India, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
| Current owner | Unilever |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.sunsilk.com |
History
Sunsilk was launched in the UK in 1954, and by 1959 it was available in 18 different countries worldwide. At the time, Sunsilk had an advantage over other shampoos in the market as it only needed one application, and so meant washing less natural oils from the hair. Sunsilk cream shampoo for dry hair was launched in 1956.
In 1958, a new transparent polythene tube for the liquid shampoo was introduced as an alternative large size pack to the bottle. Sunsilk was also available in such tubes.
In 1960, Sunsilk Tonic shampoo was launched, containing skin healing ingredient Allantoin – designed to help keep the scalp free from infection.
In 1961, Sunsilk Liquid shampoo was re-launched to Sunsilk Beauty, because ‘Liquid’ in the name, originally used to distinguish the product from powdered shampoos had become meaningless as the majority of shampoos were now in liquid form.
In 1962, Sunsilk was marketed as a range of shampoos for different hair types.
Sunsilk significantly improved product formula and launched new variants in 1966: the first major shampoo to contain olive oil, which acted as conditioner to make hair soft and manageable; shampoo for dull hair, which restored hair’s natural shine; lemon shampoo for greasy hair with deep cleansing ingredients.
Sunsilk significantly improved product formula and launched new variants in 1966: the first major shampoo to contain olive oil, which acted as conditioner to make hair soft and manageable; shampoo for dull hair, which restored hair’s natural shine; lemon shampoo for greasy hair with deep cleansing ingredients.
Sunsilk hair spray was first launched in 1964 to enter an expanding hair-spray market, but in 1966 a new product formula was developed which gave hold, even in damp weather whilst still caring for hair. The hair spray contained a French perfume and could easily be removed by brushing or shampooing it out.
In 1969, all Sunsilk shampoo was re-packaged in new PVC bottles, which were larger than traditional glass bottles for the same price.
Sunsilk conditioner was launched in 1971 with three variants for dry, normal and greasy hair. In 1973, Sunsilk launched an aerosol dispensed setting lotion. An economy size shampoo bottle was introduced for Sunsilk in 1974.
In 1975, Sunsilk became the biggest name in hair care with 1,000,000 packs being sold every week.
In 1980, the whole Sunsilk range was re-launched, with improved formulations and packaging design to bring the brand into the 1980s.
In 1985, Sunsilk styling mousse was launched and 2 years later a conditioning mousse followed.
In 2001, Sunsilk moved into the hair colourant market for Asian-type dark hair, offering a range of seven permanent colours from natural black to copper with purple, red and gold tints.
In 2003, Sunsilk launched a new range of shampoos and conditioners, which were developed to meet women’s hair needs and reflect the way women think about their hair. The fake institute (a trademark by Sedal[1]) "Elida Hair Institute" developed the products in response to market research. Each product contained a unique formulation of ingredients, combining the best from natural and scientific worlds to help combat common hair problems.
[edit]Milestones
- 1954 – Sunsilk first launched in the UK.
- 1955 – First advertisement of Sunsilk appeared on TV.
- 1964 – Launch of Sunsilk hair spray.
- 1968 – Sunsilk shampoo re-packaged in PVC bottles.
- 1971 – Launch of Sunsilk conditioner.
- 1975 – Sunsilk became the biggest name in hair care.
- 2003 – Sunsilk glossy magazine launched in Argentina.
- 2008 – Social networking site Gang of Girls was introduced in India.
[edit]First advertising
Sunsilk began advertising in 1955 with a campaign that focused on specific hair "issues". In the UK, the campaign focused on shiny hair. During the 1960s, a television commercial of Sunsilk featured a tune composed by John Barry, “The girl with the sun in her hair”, which proved so popular that it was subsequently released as a pop single.
Sunsilk radio commercials were aired in 1969 featuring Derek Nimmo to support the new Sunsilk Herb shampoo for problem hair called “Hairy Tales”. In the early 1970s, Sunsilk was advertised with the slogan “All you need is Sunsilk”.
[edit]Celebrity associations
Madonna Madonna (entertainer), Shakira, Marilyn Monroe and Marian Rivera all featured in Sunsilk's 2008 advertising campaign “Life Can’t Wait”[2] which launched with a Super Bowl XLII spot. The philosophy behind the campaign was about girls taking positive steps to gain better control of their lives “Hair On = Life On”.
In 2009, singer Delta Goodrem was announced as the "face of Sunsilk" in Australia. The singer and her music have since featured in several Sunsilk adverts.[4]
[edit]Magazine
In 2003, Sunsilk (Seda) launched the first hair only glossy magazine in Argentina aiming to communicate to the professional hair industry. More than 800,000 copies are published each month. The magazine focuses on hair, fashion and beauty issues as well as showcasing hairdressers’ work. It is sold locally on news stands and distributed to hair salons.
