| Product type |
|
|---|---|
| Owner | Unilever (except United States and Canada) Henkel North American Consumer Goods (United States and Canada) Pental (Australia) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1884 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Sunlight is a brand of laundry soap, laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent manufactured and marketed around the world by Unilever, except in the United States and Canada, where it has been owned by Sun Products (now Henkel Corporation) since 2010. [1] [2]
Sunlight household soap was introduced by the British company Lever Brothers in 1884. It was the world's first packaged, branded laundry soap. [3] Designed for washing clothes and general household use, the success of the product led to the name of the company's village for its workers, Port Sunlight. The soap formula was invented by a Bolton chemist named William Hough Watson, who also became an early business partner. Watson's process created a new soap, using glycerin and vegetable oils such as palm oil rather than tallow (animal fats). [4] William Lever and his brother James Darcy Lever invested in Watson's soap invention and its initial success came from offering bars of cut, wrapped, and branded soap in his father's grocery shop. This was an early labour-saving device for the housewife as commercially made soap was bought in long bars before this. Sunlight soap was eventually supplanted by modern products made from synthetically produced detergents rather than naturally derived soaps.
The soap's appearance in Lumière Brothers films may be an early example of product placement. [5] In 1971, Lever rebranded Sunlight as a washing-up liquid in the UK. The new packaging for Sunlight Lemon Liquid had a large picture of a lemon and only featured the words "washing up liquid" in small letters. There were complaints that children might mistake the product for lemon squash and drink it. The matter was discussed in the House of Lords. The company responded by changing its packaging. [6]
In several markets (e.g., Belgium and the Netherlands), Sunlight soap has survived as a personal wash product rather than a laundry detergent.
Sunlight is still used in some markets as a brand by Unilever (the successor of Lever Brothers). In Sri Lanka, Sunlight laundry soap has a market share of more than 75%, [7] and won the "brand of the year" award in 2004. South Africans use the brand for bath soap, dishwashing liquid, washing powder, and fabric conditioner. [8]
The brand was also used in the Philippines during the 1990s as detergents. It was discontinued until it was revived in 2015 as a liquid dishwashing detergent traded alongside the Surf line. [9]
However, production for Ireland and the UK ceased in 2009 due to low demand; it is available only as an import. In Norway, it was taken over by Lilleborg in 1930. [10]
In 2003, exclusive licensing rights to the Sunlight brand for dishwashing detergents in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico were sold along with several Unilever brands to Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Group, [11] which established Phoenix Brands LLC for the purpose. [12] In 2008, the North American trademark rights to Unilever laundry brands including Sunlight were acquired by Sun Products Corporation. [13] In early 2010, Sun Products acquired the American and Canadian business rights to the Sunlight brand. [14] Sun Products was itself acquired by Henkel North American Consumer Goods in 2016. As of 2024, Henkel discontinued dishwashing products in Canada; only the laundry products remain. [15]
The Sunlight brand was used by JohnsonDiversey Professional Products in Canada and the USA in 2011. [16]
In Turkey in the summer of 2010, washing-up liquids produced under the brand Cif began marketing with the new compound brand Sunlight Cif. As well as the regular liquid, a concentrated washing-up liquid was introduced in three varieties (lime, lemon, and orange); when it comes into contact with water, it turns into a gel which remains in the sponge longer than regular washing-up liquid. [17]
The Colgate-Palmolive Company, commonly known as Colgate-Palmolive, is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in the production, distribution, and provision of household, health care, personal care, and veterinary products.
Rinso is a brand name of laundry soap and detergent marketed by Unilever. The brand was created by Robert Spear Hudson and originally branded Hudson's Soap, which was sold to Lever Brothers of Port Sunlight, England, in 1908. It was introduced in the United States by Lever Brothers Company in 1918.
Surf is a British brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed around the world by Unilever, except in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, where it has been owned by Sun Products since 2008.
Tide is an American brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1946, it is the highest-selling detergent brand in the world, with an estimated 14.3 percent of the global market.
Vim is the name of a range of household cleaning products originally produced by Lever Brothers. The Vim brand is currently owned by the German multinational company Henkel, while Unilever retains ownership in Canada and Vietnam.
Persil is a German brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Henkel around the world except in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Latin America, China, Australia and New Zealand, where it is manufactured and marketed by Unilever. Persil was introduced in 1907 by Henkel. It was the first commercially available laundry detergent that combined bleach with the detergent. The name was derived from two of its original ingredients, sodium perborate and sodium silicate.
Fairy is an international brand, primarily used for washing up liquid and dishwasher detergent, owned by the American multinational consumer products company, Procter & Gamble. The brand originated in the United Kingdom in 1898 and is now used on a number of P&G products in various markets.
Snuggle is a brand of fabric softener sold by Henkel North American Consumer Goods in the United States and Canada. The brand was introduced in 1983 by Unilever. The product is available in sheets or liquid.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Founded in 1876, the DAX company is organized into two globally operating business units and is known for brands such as Loctite, Persil, Fa, Pritt, Dial and Purex.
Henkel Corporation, doing business as Henkel North American Consumer Goods and formerly The Dial Corporation, is an American company based in Stamford, Connecticut. It is a manufacturer of personal care and household cleaning products and is a subsidiary of multinational company Henkel AG & Co. KGaA.
Dishwashing liquid, also known as dishwashing soap, dish detergent, or dish soap, is a detergent used in dishwashing. Dishwashing detergent for dishwashers comes in various forms such as cartridges, gels, liquids, packs, powder, and tablets. It is usually a highly-foamy mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation that consumers primarily use for washing glasses, plates, cutlery, and cooking utensils. In addition to its primary use, dishwashing liquid is also used for various informal applications, like creating bubbles, clothes washing, and cleaning off wildlife affected by oil spills.
Lilleborg AS is a major hygiene and cleaning article company in Norway, owned by Solenis, and formerly owned by the Orkla Group. It was established in 1833, and was one of the first companies in Norway to start manufacturing brand name products. It currently operates three factories in Norway, and employs a total working staff of 595.
Wisk was an American brand of laundry detergent manufactured in the United States by Unilever and Sun Products.
The Sun Products Corporation was a United States–based manufacturer of laundry detergent, fabric softeners, and other household cleaning products. With annual sales of $2.0 billion, the company's brands included All, Wisk (discontinued), Snuggle, Sun, Surf, and Sunlight. Sun Products holds the second largest market share in the $10 billion North American fabric care market as of 2010. In addition, Sun Products was the manufacturing partner for many retailer brand laundry and dish products in North America.
The UK Cleaning Products Industry Association is the leading trade association for companies representing UK producers of cleaning and hygiene products. This includes soaps, washing powders and liquids, household disinfectants, air care and polishes, as well as professional cleaning and hygiene products used in industrial and institutional applications.
Dishwasher detergent is a detergent made for washing dishes in a dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent is different from dishwashing liquid made to wash dishes by hand.
Skip is a brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Unilever in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Argentina and South Africa. In the past it was also marketed in Germany, but it was discontinued in 2009. It is Unilever's top-of-line detergent brand in the countries where it is marketed and features the splodge-like logo similar to British Persil.
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