Olay

Last updated
Olay
Olay.png
The logo of Olay
Product typeBeauty products
Owner Procter & Gamble
Country United States
Introduced1952;72 years ago (1952)
MarketsWorldwide
Previous ownersAdams National Industries
Tagline"Ageless"
Website www.olay.com

Olay or Olaz, previously Oil of Olay, Oil of Olaz, Oil of Ulan or Oil of Ulay, is an American skin care brand owned by Procter & Gamble. For the 2009 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's revenue. [1]

Contents

History

Early days

Olay originated in South Africa as Oil of Olay. Graham Wulff (1916–2008), a former Unilever chemist from Durban, [2] started it in 1952. He chose the name "Oil of Olay" as a spin on the word "lanolin", a key ingredient.

It was unique in the early days because it was a pink fluid rather than a cream, packaged in a heavy glass bottle. Wulff and his marketing partner, Jack Lowe, a former copywriter, had tested the product on their wives and friends and were confident in its uniqueness and quality.[ citation needed ]

Olay's marketing was also unique, since it was never described as a moisturizer, nor even as beauty fluid. Nowhere on the packaging did it say what the product actually did. Print advertisements used copy such as "Share the secret of a younger looking you" and talked about the "beauty secret" of Oil of Olay. Other advertisements were written as personal messages to the reader from a fictitious advice columnist named Margaret Merril. They ran in Reader's Digest and newspapers and often looked like editorials.[ citation needed ]

Wulff and Lowe, who ran the company under the banner of Adams National Industries (ANI), did not sell the product to the trade. It instead waited for pharmacies to ask for it based on consumer requests.[ citation needed ]

As the company began to market the product internationally, ANI decided to modify the name of the product in each country so it would sound pleasing and realistic to consumers. This led to the introduction of Oil of Ulay (UK and Ireland), Oil of Ulan (Australia) and Oil of Olaz (France, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany). In 1970, ANI opened a test market in the US (Chicago) and was expanding into northern Germany.[ citation needed ]

Original Oil of Olay circa 1952 1952 Original Oil of Olay.jpg
Original Oil of Olay circa 1952

1970–1985

Richardson Merrell Inc. (later Richardson-Vicks Inc.) acquired ANI in November 1970. [2] RVI capitalized the "Oil" and added the sub-name "Beauty Fluid" to help protect the trademark. They further added a sales force and created TV advertising. The company extended the product range to include items such as Night of Ulay and Beauty Cleanser and expanded into more countries (Spain, France, and Germany).

The result of Richardson Merrell's efforts was a dramatic increase in sales. However, as with many brands, the business was not uniformly managed, so there were differences in performance between countries.[ citation needed ]

1985–2000

RVI was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1985. [3] P&G greatly expanded Olay both in the line-up and internationally. Olay became P&G's 13th billion dollar brand in 2013. [4]

Since then, the range has been expanded to include a full range of hypoallergenic variants, cleansers and creams. The brand also includes soap, and body wash. Olay Cosmetics was launched in 1996 but discontinued in 2001.[ citation needed ]

Name change

In 1999, P&G decided to unify the brand under a global name. Thus, Oil of Ulan and Ulay became Olay on a worldwide basis, [5] except in German-speaking regions and Italy, where it remained "Oil of Olaz". In the Netherlands and Belgium, it renamed to just "Olaz".

Oil of Olay circa 1992 1992 Oil of Olay Oil-Free.jpg
Oil of Olay circa 1992

2000 to present

In October 2000, Olay launched in the Philippines. In August 2007, Olay was launched in India. From 2010 to 2020, Oil of OLAZ was simply known as OLAZ in German-speaking countries. Slogan: "Olaz lässt Sie strahlen." (Lit.: "Olaz lets you shine.") Since 2020 OLAZ has also been marketed as OLAY in German-speaking countries.[ citation needed ]

In 2019, Sarah Hyland partnered with Olay for a skin product campaign. [6] [7]

In 2024, introduced a new cosmetics science course with the online learning platform Coursera. [8]

Ingredients

Olay uses many different ingredients in the production of their skin care line. [9] The main ingredients used include retinyl propionate (vitamin A derivative), glycerin, niacinamide (vitamin B3), broad spectrum sunscreen,coconut oil, and amino peptides.

Brand and industry awards

In 2011, Olay ranked in 1st place among 50 of the industry leaders in Brand Finance's Top 50 Cosmetic Brands. [10] A more recent report, dated 2021, has Olay maintaining its high position, ranking 19th in the Top 50. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmetics</span> Substances applied to the body to change appearance or fragrance

Cosmetics are composed of mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect the body and skin. Cosmetics designed to enhance or alter one's appearance (makeup) can be used to conceal blemishes, enhance one's natural features, add color to a person's face, or change the appearance of the face entirely to resemble a different person, creature or object. Cosmetics can also be designed to add fragrance to the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Spice</span> American brand of male grooming products

Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, shaving cream, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.

The term cleanser refers to a product that cleans or removes dirt or other substances. A cleanser could be a detergent, and there are many types of cleansers that are produced with a specific objective or focus. For instance, a degreaser or carburetor cleanser used in automotive mechanics for cleaning certain engine and car parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet wipe</span> Small moistened piece of paper or cloth

A wet wipe, also known as a wet towel, moist towelette, disposable wipe, disinfecting wipe, or a baby wipe is a small to medium-sized moistened piece of plastic or cloth that either comes folded and individually wrapped for convenience or, in the case of dispensers, as a large roll with individual wipes that can be torn off. Wet wipes are used for cleaning purposes like personal hygiene and household cleaning; each is a separate product depending on the chemicals added and medical or office cleaning wipes are not intended for skin hygiene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SK-II</span> Japanese cosmetics company

SK-II is a Japanese-based multinational cosmetics brand launched in the early 1980s, based on a compound derived from yeast. It is owned by parent company Procter & Gamble (P&G) and is sold and marketed as a premium skin care solution in East Asia as well as North America, Europe and Australia.

CoverGirl is an American cosmetics brand founded in Maryland, United States, by the Noxzema Chemical Company. It was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1989, and later acquired by Coty, Inc. in 2016. The Noxell Company advertised this cosmetics line by allowing "cover girls", models, actresses, and singers who appear on the front cover of women's magazines, to wear its products. CoverGirl primarily provides a wide variety of consumer-grade cosmetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comet (cleanser)</span> American brand of household cleaning products

Comet is an American brand of scouring powders and other household cleaning products manufactured by KIK Custom Products Inc. The brand was introduced in 1956 by Procter & Gamble (P&G) and sold to Prestige Brands in 2001. In 2018, Prestige Brands sold the Comet brand to KIK Custom Products Inc. P&G retained the rights to market the brand in Europe and to the professional market (non-home-consumer) in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noxzema</span> Brand of skin cleanser marketed by Unilever

Noxzema is a brand of skin cleanser marketed by Unilever. Since 1914, it was sold in a small cobalt blue jar; but is now sold in a blue plastic jar. Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, phenol and eucalyptus, among other ingredients. Originally developed as a sunburn remedy, it is a type of cold cream or vanishing cream which is used as a facial cleanser and make-up remover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clean & Clear</span>

Clean & Clear is an American brand of dermatology products owned by Kenvue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingredients of cosmetics</span> Ingredients used in makeup

Cosmetics ingredients come from a variety of sources but, unlike the ingredients of food, are often not considered by most consumers. Cosmetics often use vibrant colors that are derived from a wide variety of sources, ranging from crushed insects to rust.

Noxell Corporation, formerly known as the Noxzema Chemical Company, was a Maryland-based company that made household products. Its best known brands were Noxzema and CoverGirl. In 2016, it became a subsidiary of The Procter & Gamble Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foundation (cosmetics)</span> Skin coloured cosmetic applied to the face

Foundation is a liquid, cream, or powder makeup applied to the face and neck to create an even, uniform color to the complexion, cover flaws and, sometimes, to change the natural skin tone. Some foundations also function as a moisturizer, sunscreen, astringent or base layer for more complex cosmetics. Foundation applied to the body is generally referred to as "body painting" or "body makeup".

Almay is an American cosmetics brand owned by Revlon which markets products toward people with sensitive skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shampoo</span> Hair care product

Shampoo is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the scalp, and then rinsing it out. Some users may follow a shampooing with the use of hair conditioner.

Banila Co. (Korean: 바닐라코) is a South Korean cosmetics brand that is owned by F&F.[1] It was established by F&F in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmetic industry</span> Industry that manufactures and distributes cosmetic products

The cosmetic industry describes the industry that manufactures and distributes cosmetic products. These include colour cosmetics, like foundation and mascara, skincare such as moisturisers and cleansers, haircare such as shampoos, conditioners and hair colours, and toiletries such as bubble bath and soap. The manufacturing industry is dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses. Cosmetics must be safe when customers use them in accordance with the label's instructions or in the conventional or expected manner. One measure a producer may take to guarantee the safety of a cosmetic product is product testing. FDA occasionally does testing as part of its research program or when looking into potential safety issues with a product. Both the cosmetics business and consumers can benefit from the FDA's resources on product testing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lestoil</span> Registered trade name of Clorox

Lestoil is a registered trade name of Clorox for a heavy-duty multipurpose cleanser product, used to remove extremely difficult laundry stains, dissolve water-based and oil-based paints, and clean grease, oil, paint, and adhesives from floors and surfaces. It was introduced as a dry cleaning fluid for laundry in 1933. As a company, Lestoil, also known as the Adell Chemical Company, also made Bon Ami, from 1964 until 1971.

References

  1. Byron, Ellen (2010-01-07). "Olay Highlights P&G's Push to Extend Brands". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  2. 1 2 "Cosmetics and Skin: Company Timeline". cosmeticsandskin.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  3. "A Company History" (PDF). Procter and Gamble. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  4. "2013 Annual Report" (PDF). Procter and Gamble Annual Reports. Procter and Gamble. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  5. "OIL OF OLAY gets a makeover". INTA Bulletin. International Trademark Association. 1 July 2000. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  6. "Sarah Hyland on Her Unique Campaign with Olay, Fighting for Her Health and 'Modern Family' Ending". Forbes . Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  7. "Sarah Hyland Shares Her Favorite Self-Care Practices | Entertainment Tonight". Archived from the original on 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  8. "Olay launches cosmetics science course with Coursera". Cosmetics Business. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  9. "Search by product name". CosDNA.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  10. "BrandFinance Top 50 Cosmetics Brands - 2011 (Brand Finance) | Ranking The Brands". Archived from the original on 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  11. Haigh, Richard (2021). "Cosmetics 50 2021 | Brand Value Ranking League Table". brandirectory.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2022-02-07.