Unilever has joined forces with Superdrug and charity Beauty Banks to tackle the growing issue of hygiene poverty, which affects millions of adults and children every day. Until 16 May, Unilever will donate one Dove product to Beauty Banks for every two selected Dove products purchased at Superdrug, either in-store or online.
Official figures suggest that around one in five people in the UK were in poverty in 2020/21, this equates to 20% of the population or 13.4 million people. However, given the current challenging climate, it’s predicted this figure is now even higher. Many of these people are going without washing, brushing teeth or applying deodorant because they can’t afford soap, shampoo or toothpaste.
Over 400 Superdrug stores in the UK are hosting Unilever’s first in-store fixture with Beauty Banks, inviting shoppers to purchase two Dove products so that Unilever donates one to the charity Each unit will have a scannable QR code to direct shoppers to the Beauty Banks website, to find out more about the charity and its work to end hygiene poverty. There are already 100 Beauty Bank donation bins in Superdrug stores where shoppers can also drop off new items, which are distributed to charities that are local to the stores.
Chris Barron, General Manager of Unilever UKI Personal Care, said: “We know that hygiene poverty remains a significant issue in the UK and affects the physical and mental wellbeing of many. We want to be able to make a real change at scale, which is why we are working with two influential partners to make this a reality. We’re already on a mission to help build self-esteem and allow people to reach their full potential with our ongoing Dove project, so this collaboration will allow us to elevate this further.”
Jo Jones, Co-founder of Beauty Banks, added: “The partnership between Beauty Banks and Dove is truly special and exciting as we share common values and a mission to use beauty as a power for good. Dove’s dedication to celebrating beauty in all its forms makes them a unique brand as they care for people’s skin and overall well-being. It’s a dream come true to work with a brand that shares our purpose for positively impacting people’s lives whilst driving awareness of hygiene poverty and donations to our cause.”To raise awareness of the campaign, Unilever is working with influencers on social media, to educate shoppers about hygiene poverty issue in the UK and to encourage them to visit Superdrug to donate through their purchases.
