The Great Pears Soap Reversal
Following adverse consumer reaction and campaigns here on greyhares and on Facebook, Unilever has announced a rethink of the disastrous reformulation of its much loved 200 year old brand, Pears Transparent Soap. The Daily Mail of 7th January reports that “following a deluge of complaints, owners of the brand Hindustan Unilever Ltd which is based in Mumbai have agreed to produce something ‘much closer to the old soap’ from March this year.”
This news is to be given a cautious welcome. Let’s hope that ‘much closer’ doesn’t mean merely removing the “disgusting smell” (not my words) whilst leaving in the PEG4 and other chemical additives. Unless the soap’s hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic properties are restored, many of us will still not be using the re-reformulated soap.
It was a campaign that started here on greyhares last month and we are proud to have played our part in the apparent climb-down. Thanks to everyone who has contacted us and/or posted a comment but let’s keep our powder (and our soap) dry until the re-reformulated soap comes out.
Wash this space!
Hare clips -
- Original greyhares story: The Great Pears Soap Disaster
- Media commentary: Pears Soap – was it really Facebook that won it?
If you can, please help me find the old formula Pears.
I found the ‘image’ of old package at Amazon.com but contact with the vendor said,
‘In reference to your inquiry we like to inform you that we are not sure that which formula it contains as they comes from the manufacturer.Thank you, AmericaRx, Amazon Seller Store’.
There appears to have been no movement at all on this supposed volte face by Unilever. I phoned their comment line and was told that the changes had been delayed blah blah blah etc. I suggest that if you feel as strongly as I do about the commercial rape of a much loved and highly personal item of your daily hygiene you contact said comment line on 08003282510 , you will be asked if you’ve phoned before- just say “no” whatever the truth is. If you say yes your comment will not be logged
Come on Greyhares—–Direct action!!
thank you for your post
id simply assumed my faculties were failing
i think someone needs to get at this from the inside
from a business/marketing perspective
and explain to unilever that two products are better than one
why not introduce a ‘new and improved’ pears soap alongside the original
the customer would then have the choice
id be perfectly happy to avoid that sitting on the shelf next to ‘pears classic’
and if after all it is just an old fashioned money making exercise
why not also employ the equally classic pricing structure trick
‘new improved’ at a ‘bargain introductory’ price
roughly translated as just raising the price of the ‘classic’ variety
sadly it may be too late for that approach
but perhaps someone who is aware of the situation could invest in a ‘license’ to produce a ‘pears classic’ with the original formula
luxury brands are quite popular these days and id have to say that whilst id prefer not
id be willing to pay a little extra for the return of my old trusted friend the original bar of comfort
63 years ago I was born in Scotland and can still remember the smell of Pears soap as a young boy. Over the years I have gone out of my way to find pears soap in the U.S. I bought 10 bars of the new soap in a store last week and to my dismay found out it was this new product. It is disgusting, is going back to the store and I will never buy Pears soap again. I wouldn’t use it if it were free. As a matter of fact you couldn’t pay me to use it. There should be something criminal in what Unilever has done to this soap. It is a crime. I hope enough people shout out so something will be done, it smells like insecticide or a newly paved road. I’m pissed.
Has anyone got any suggestions as an alternative to the traditional Pears soap? I have tried ALL kinds of transparent soaps with no successful replacement for the much loved Pears I used to know and smell!!!
I don’t expect corporate to listen to its customers. Big business is a plague, they only listen to themselves. They admitted that they only changed the formula so they could crank out the bars cheaper. To them its just a bar of soap.
Pears Soap, most people miss the point, the main disappointment is that the new ‘Pears Soap’ only lasts half as long due to the re-design. It even splits in two after two weeks due to it now being so thin.
Why do these large companies think they can continually think they can get away with telling their customers that all this is FOR OUR BENEFIT. When we all know it is to increase their profit margins.
Sic.