Lux (soap)

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LUX is a global brand developed by

Unilever. The range of products includes
beauty soaps, shower gels, bath additives,
hair shampoos and conditioners. Lux
started as "Sunlight Flakes" laundry soap
in 1899.
 LUX

Product type Soap

Owner Unilever

Country United Kingdom

Introduced 1925

Markets Worldwide

Website houseoflux.com

In 1925, it became the first mass-market

toilet soap in the world. It is noted as a
brand that pioneered female celebrity
endorsements.
As of 2009, Lux revenue was estimated at
€1 billion, with market shares spread out
to more than 100 countries around the
globe.

Today, Lux is the market leader in

countries like Bangladesh, Brazil, India,
Pakistan, South Africa and Thailand[1]

Developed by Unilever, Lux (soap) is now

headquartered in Singapore. It has
completed its 90 years in 2018

History
Origins and history
Lux Print ads – Early 20s

The brand was founded by the firm Lever

Brothers, now known as Unilever, in
1899.[2] The name changed from "Sunlight
Flakes" to "Lux" in 1900, a Latin word for
"light" and suggestive of "luxury.”

Lux toilet soap was launched in the United

States in 1925 and in the United Kingdom
in 1928. Subsequently, Lux soap has been
marketed in several forms, including
handwash, shower gel and cream bath
soap.

Lux beginnings

Beginnings

Lux's early advertising campaigns aimed

to educate users about its credentials as a
laundry product and appeared in
magazines such as Ladies Home Journal.
By the early 1920s, it was a hugely
successful brand and in 1924, the Lever
Brothers conducted a contest that led
them to a very interesting finding: women
were using Lux as toilet soap.

Lux Building beauty soap credentials

Building Beauty Soap

Credentials

Introduced in the United States in 1924,

Lux became the world's first mass market
toilet soap with the tagline, Made as fine as
French Soap. In the first two years of its
launch, Lux concentrated on building its
beauty soap credentials. Advertisements
offered consumers "a beauty soap made
in the French method" at an affordable
price, with the promise of smooth skin.

Made with fine-texture, rich in fragrance,

and manufactured using a method created
in France, the first Lux toilet soap was sold
for 10 cents a bar.
Lux 9 out of 10 stars use Lux

1928–1940: 9 out of 10 stars

This era saw key launches of LUX in the

UK, India, Argentina, and Thailand. The
brand concentrated on building its
association with the increasingly popular
world of film, highlighting movie stars and
their use of the product. In 1929,
advertising featured 26 of the biggest
female stars of the day, creating a huge
impact among the movie-loving target
audience. This was followed by Hollywood
directors talking about the importance of
smooth and youthful skin. This pioneered
the trend of celebrity product
endorsements.

In 1931, Lux launched a I am over 31

campaign, which focused on older stars.
The series of print ads had stars talking
about preserving youthful skin. During this
era, Lux also launched campaigns
featuring interviews and close-ups with
stars, bringing to life the '9 out of 10' idea.

Lux Romancing the consumer, Deanna Durbin

1940s and 1950s: Romancing
the Consumer

Using movie stars as role models, Lux's

strategy was to build relevance by looking
at beauty through the consumer's eyes.
While still retaining the star element, the
focus shifted to the consumer and the role
of the brand in her life.

Advertising commercials showed ordinary

looking women with direct references to
leading ladies from the movies, such as
Deanna Durbin and Deborah Kerr.
Lux Romancing the brand

1960s: Romancing the Brand

In the 1960s, advertising was shifted to

product stories and the romanticising of
brand through its "sensorial & emotional"
dimensions. This was the era of the film
star feeling and the Golden Lux, featuring
stars such as, Sandra Dee, Diana Rigg,
Samantha Eggar, Audrey Hepburn, Cyd
Charisse, Debbie Reynolds, Kim Novak,
Doris Day, and Barbara Rush.
The bathing ritual, the fantasy element that
now represents the image of Lux, was
created in this era. The brand also moved
forward with launching LUX in the Middle
East, entering a more conservative market.

1970s: Expanding the Notion of

Beauty

Reflecting the shift in beauty trends in the

1970s, Lux stars stepped down from their
pedestals and were portrayed as multi-
faceted women with natural beauty that
the ordinary woman could relate with and
aspire to. The executions were more of a
day in the life of the stars, which focused
on their natural beauty. Stars included:
Brigitte Bardot and Natalie Wood.

1980s: Owning the Category

Space

Promoting itself as the beauty soap of

stars and beautiful women, in the 1980s
the brand emphasized the importance of
skin care – the first step to beauty. Lux
was launched in China at this time. Sophia
Loren, Raquel Welch, and Cheryl Ladd were
some celebrities used during this era.

In India, Bollywood actresses, such as

Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini, Parveen
Babi, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukerji,
Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif, Amisha Patel,
Kareena Kapoor, Asin, Deepika Padukone
and Alia Bhatt have endorsed Lux soap.

1990s – early 2000s:

Advanced Skin Benefits

In the 1990s, Lux moved from generic

beauty benefits to focusing on specific
benefits and transformation, emphasizing
functionality for different skin types. It is
during this era that the brand began to
focus on ingredients. The communication
was far more region-specific, using stars
such as, Brazil's Malu Mader and Debora
Bloch.
This period launched product brand
extensions with shower creams and gels,
and Lux Super Rich Shampoo in Japan and
China.

Lux Style Awards

In 2002, Pakistan created the Lux Style

Awards to celebrate the Pakistani film
industry.

2000s: Beyond Movie Stars

In early 2000, the focus shifted from

specific skin benefits to a stronger
emotional space. The brand provided the
link between the aspirational role models
and real life with the campaign, Lux brings
out the star in you. The benefit was now
more than just beauty itself; it expanded to
be about the confidence that comes from
beautiful skin.

In 2005, Lux encouraged women to

celebrate and indulge their femininity with
the Play with Beauty philosophy, with stars
like Aishwarya Rai. The brand also
encouraged consumers to take a more
active stance on beauty.

Since 2008, building off the brand's root

strengths, focus has shifted away from
femininity to more emphasis on beauty as
it relates to consumers' fantasies and
aspirations. Lux espouses that beauty is a
female instinct that shouldn't be denied,
and showcases the pleasure that every
woman enjoys from using her beauty. This
modern philosophy is encapsulated in a
simple phrase: Declare your beauty.

Lux products are manufactured at 71

locations with more than 2000 suppliers
and associates providing the raw
materials. It has key markets in countries
like Brazil, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh,
and South Africa, and is a market leader
for soap bars in India, Pakistan, Brazil,
Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Thailand, and
Vietnam.

2017 to present: More Than

You Can See

Today, in efforts of building brands with

purpose, Lux pushes the boundary by
inspiring women to rise above societal
judgments and be express themselves
unapologetically. Lux communications
now revolve around showcasing the
different sides of women expressing their
femininity.

In Indonesia, Lux partnered with brand

ambassador Maudy Ayunda to launch a
purpose driven award show "Lux Sound of
Women" that celebrates female musicians
who inspire and create an impact in the
community.

In India, Lux celebrates women with an

annual "Golden Rose Awards" which joins
together the female cinematic legends in
Bollywood.

In 2018, Virgil Van Dijk claimed that his

legs have never felt better.

See also
Unilever

References
1. "Lux – personal care brand of Unilever" .
Archived from the original on 27 December
2010.
2. "Our approach to sustainability".
unilever.com. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Lux Soap.

Official website
US Caress website

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Lux_(soap)&oldid=886532079"

Last edited 1 month ago by an anon…

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