Good Hair Day
Encyclopedia
Good Hair Day, commonly referred to as ghd, is a manufacturer of hair care products. It is based in Leeds
, UK.
from a South Korean inventor.
The company initially sold its own products exclusively through hair salons. In the first two years, the company did no advertising. By the end of their second year, revenues for the business stood at £12million, against a forecast of between £3million and £4million.
In 2004, the company entered the North American market, with total worldwide sales generating £37million in revenue.
In 2006, the Jemella Group, which owned the ghd brand, was bought by Lloyds Development Capita for £55m. It was sold on just 11 months later to Montagu Private Equity for £160million.
.
In 2003, the company launched its first televised advertising campaign, becoming the sponsor of British reality TV show The Salon
. The company has also featured prominently on Australia’s Next Top Model.
In 2008, a series of television advertisements for ghd were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority
, who deemed that they could be offensive to Christians
.
, Madonna
, Gwyneth Paltrow
and Jennifer Aniston
users of ghd products.
charity. The company produces a limited edition pink hair iron every year, with £10 of the sale price being donated in support the charity.
All GHD hair straighteners feature a hologram on the power cord with an individual product number printed on it. No two product numbers are the same, and as such there should never be a case of the same number appearing on multiple units. Fake units will also often have (though not always have) poor grammar, punctuation and spelling on the packaging.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, UK.
History
The company was founded in January 2001 by Martin Penny, Gary Douglas and Robert Powls, who collaborated to purchase the rights to produce a particular style of hair straightening ironHair iron
A hair iron or hair tong is a tool used to change the structure of the hair using heat. There are three general kinds: curling irons, used to make the hair curly, straightening irons, commonly called straighteners or flat irons, used to straighten the hair, and crimping irons, used to create crimps...
from a South Korean inventor.
The company initially sold its own products exclusively through hair salons. In the first two years, the company did no advertising. By the end of their second year, revenues for the business stood at £12million, against a forecast of between £3million and £4million.
In 2004, the company entered the North American market, with total worldwide sales generating £37million in revenue.
In 2006, the Jemella Group, which owned the ghd brand, was bought by Lloyds Development Capita for £55m. It was sold on just 11 months later to Montagu Private Equity for £160million.
Advertising & Sponsorship
ghd claimed not to have undertaken any advertising in the first two years of operation, instead relying on the recommendations of the salons that sold the brand’s products and word of mouthWord of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
.
In 2003, the company launched its first televised advertising campaign, becoming the sponsor of British reality TV show The Salon
The Salon
The Salon was a British reality TV show where various members of the public were invited daily to have treatments in a studio built beauty salon situated in Balham, south-west London, and in the second series, a purpose-built studio inside the Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus.-Overview:Viewers were...
. The company has also featured prominently on Australia’s Next Top Model.
In 2008, a series of television advertisements for ghd were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority
Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
, who deemed that they could be offensive to Christians
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
.
Endorsements
The brand has attracted endorsements from celebrities, with Victoria BeckhamVictoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
and Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
users of ghd products.
Charity Editions
Since 2004, ghd has raised approximately £2.5million for the Breakthrough Breast CancerBreakthrough Breast Cancer
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a United Kingdom charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research, campaigning and education. Its vision is "to work for a future free from the fear of breast cancer".-History:...
charity. The company produces a limited edition pink hair iron every year, with £10 of the sale price being donated in support the charity.
Fakes
Imitation versions of the GHD hair straightener have been accidentally sold in reputable stores at the same price as the original. An indicator of the fake versions has been reported as a small "i" on the GHD logo on the packaging and the iron. The counterfeits are produced in China. GHD advises to use the serial number to check validity on their website or by phoning head office.All GHD hair straighteners feature a hologram on the power cord with an individual product number printed on it. No two product numbers are the same, and as such there should never be a case of the same number appearing on multiple units. Fake units will also often have (though not always have) poor grammar, punctuation and spelling on the packaging.