Suave
Encyclopedia
Suave is a brand name based in Chicago
, IL
used by the Unilever
company in the United States
, Argentina
, Mexico
and Canada
. Targeting discount store
s, the brand represents more than 100 products including shampoo
, lotion
s, soap
s and deodorant
.
Suave started in the United States
in 1937 as a hair tonic. The brand eventually was acquired by Helene Curtis Industries, Inc.
which, in the 1970s, started expanding the Suave name beyond hair care into other areas.
Noting the rise of discount stores such as Wal-Mart
, in the 1990s Unilever (which acquired the brand in 1996) instituted a broad strategy, called "The Power of Value" to leverage its Suave brand to sell a complete line of discount personal care products in contrast to its high-profile brands such as Helene Curtis, Calvin Klein
and Salon Selectives
lines. Sales of the Suave line of products grew from $500 million in 1995 to about $900 million in 2002.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
used by the Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
company in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Targeting discount store
Discount store
A discount store is a type of department store, which sells products at prices lower than those asked by traditional retail outlets. Most discount department stores offer a wide assortment of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances...
s, the brand represents more than 100 products including shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
, lotion
Lotion
A lotion is a low- to medium-viscosity, topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity.Lotions are usually applied to external skin with bare hands, a clean cloth, cotton wool or gauze...
s, soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
s and deodorant
Deodorant
Deodorants are substances applied to the body to affect body odor caused by bacterial growth and the smell associated with bacterial breakdown of perspiration in armpits, feet and other areas of the body. A subgroup of deodorants, antiperspirants, affect odor as well as prevent sweating by...
.
Suave started in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1937 as a hair tonic. The brand eventually was acquired by Helene Curtis Industries, Inc.
Helene Curtis Industries, Inc.
Helene Curtis Industries, Inc. was a cosmetics and beauty parlor products firm which was based in Chicago, Illinois. The company acquired a hair-coloring line by the acquisition of a competitor business...
which, in the 1970s, started expanding the Suave name beyond hair care into other areas.
Noting the rise of discount stores such as Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, in the 1990s Unilever (which acquired the brand in 1996) instituted a broad strategy, called "The Power of Value" to leverage its Suave brand to sell a complete line of discount personal care products in contrast to its high-profile brands such as Helene Curtis, Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
and Salon Selectives
Salon Selectives
Salon Selectives is a line of hair care products, ranging from shampoos and hair conditioners to mousses, sprays, gels, and oils. Salon Selectives was the first salon-inspired mass market hair care brand, introduced by Helene Curtis in 1987...
lines. Sales of the Suave line of products grew from $500 million in 1995 to about $900 million in 2002.