For several years, Dove — the Unilever-owned toiletries brand — has tried to market itself as focusing on a more realistic notion of beauty, at least when compared to the often unattainable standards set by many of its competitors. So why on Earth did the brand think it would, in any way — in any world — be a smart idea to run an ad wherein a darker-skinned woman transforms into a very pale woman? [More]
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Spreads Are Dead: No One Likes Eating Margarine Anymore
By 7.20.17
For the last few years, Unilever — likely the world’s largest margarine maker — has been trying to figure out how to make spreads cool again in the eye of consumers. But despite its best efforts to adjust to changing consumers tastes, it looks like spreads are pretty much dead. [More]
Kraft Heinz Trying To Buy Unilever, Bring Your Ketchup And Mayo Under One Roof
By 2.17.17
Once upon a time, there was Kraft, home to blue-boxed mac-and-cheese and several other grocery store favorites. Then there was Kraft Heinz, bringing your ketchup and other condiments together with your cookies and cheese. And now, if Kraft Heinz gets its way, they might be joined by European mega-conglomerate Unilever, tying half your grocery store together under one big corporate umbrella. [More]
Unilever Buys Seventh Generation. What About Honest Co.?
By 9.19.16
Days after Unilever was rumored to be discussing a deal to purchase The Honest Company — the line of household and personal care products co-founded by actress Jessica Alba — the company behind everything from Ben & Jerry’s to Vaseline added a different high-profile independent brand to its portfolio: The eco-friendly cleaning supply folks at Seventh Generation. [More]
Unilever Looking To Buy Jessica Alba’s Honest Co. For Around $1 Billion
By 9.16.16
Unilever — the company behind everything from Ben & Jerry’s to Vaseline, and who recently spent a billion dollars to buy the Dollar Shave Club — has reportedly gone shopping for yet another high-profile independent brand. This time its Honest Co., the line of household and personal care products co-founded by actress Jessica Alba.
[More]
Unilever Buys Dollar Shave Club For $1 Billion In Cash
By 7.20.16
In an effort to gain a foothold in the $3 billion razor market, Unilever has purchased monthly razor subscription service Dollar Shave Club for one billion razors. Excuse me, I meant to say, in a deal worth $1 billion. [More]
We Tried It: Does Country Crock’s New Formula Actually Taste Like Garbage?
By 9.28.15
Loyalty runs deep in the world of butter and butter-like spreads, so when Unilever changed the recipes of a few of its popular products (including Country Crock), die-hard customers accused the company of destroying the product. [More]
Would You Pay $200 For A Machine That Only Brews Single Servings Of Tea?
By 9.11.15
If you’re a fan of machines that dispense a single serving of liquid at a time, here’s to hoping you have a lot of room on your kitchen counter: Unilever is betting people love their tea enough to shell out about $200 for a Lipton tea machine, dubbed the T.O. and made by Krups. [More]
“You Have Ruined Waffles”: Many Country Crock Customers Up In Arms Over Spread’s New Recipe
By 8.25.15
Though we are living in a time when the hot trends in food all involve a push toward products that are free of preservatives, artificial coloring, trans fats and other ingredients we didn’t use to blink an eye at, not all consumers are happy when their favorite items hop on the healthy bandwagon. That’s because while yes, people might want healthier ingredients, they also want their food to actually taste good — which is not the case for many fans of Country Crock’s Original Spread who say, among other things, that its new “Simple Recipe” has resulted in a “crock of yuck.” [More]
Hellmann’s Maker Gives Up The Legal Fight Against Eggless “Just Mayo”
By 12.19.14
Not only is Hellmann’s maker Unilever dropping its lawsuit against the San Francisco company it claimed was misrepresenting mayonnaise by not including eggs in its Just Mayo product, but it sounds like the company is ready to give its former foe a big, mayo-filled hug. Mmm, squishy. [More]
Hellmann’s Maker Revamps Website Amid Lawsuit, Calling Some Products “Mayonnaise Dressing,” Not Mayonnaise
By 11.17.14
Less than a week after it was first reported that Unilever, the parent company for Hellmann’s mayonnaise, filed a lawsuit against California-based Hampton Creek for false advertising over the company’s use of the word “mayo” in its eggless sandwich spread’s name, the larger company is reportedly covering its tracks, making sure its own use of the term is above-board by tweaking its website. [More]
Could Aerosol Deodorants Catch On Again In The United States?
By 11.12.14
Do you have difficulty applying your deodorant and/or antiperspirant without getting it on your clothes? Unilever thinks that you do. After spray-on personal care products applied to the armpits faded from the United States market in the ’80s when aerosol propellants were shown to be harmful to the planet. They’re still on the market, but Americans prefer our gels and sticks. For now. [More]
Unilever Sells Ragu And Bertolli Brands To Japanese Company For $2.15B
By 5.22.14
The staples for a quick homemade Italian dinner are soon to be produced by a Japanese company after Unilever found a buyer for its Ragu and Bertolli Brands. [More]
Unilever Pledges To Cut 15% Of The Plastic From Every Bottle
By 4.22.14
In a move that is sure to be welcomed by environmental advocates and discerning consumers alike, Unilever says it will be cutting out 15% of the plastic in each bottle of its products to cut down on the landfill clutter currently building up around the world. [More]
More Dish Soap Is A Worse Deal At Walmart
By 4.4.14
Larry has learned well here at Consumerist. When he was shopping at Walmart recently, he picked up some dish soap. Before assuming that the larger quantity was the better deal and tossing the 38-ounce bottle in his cart, he stopped to do some math. That’s when he learned that the math on these bottles was a little fuzzy. Sudsy? [More]
The Consumerist Quiz: Can You Match Popular Food Brands With Their Corporate Parents?
March 21, 2014
How closely do you pay attention to the companies that make the products you and your family eat every day? Many of the most popular brands of packaged food and beverage items in the U.S. are owned by the same few dozen multinational companies, some of whom own several competing brands. It’s time to test your knowledge of which big companies are filling your pantry. [More]
Man Suing Unilever After Toothpaste Failed To Help Him Attract All The Single Ladies
By 1.16.14
Can’t get a date with any pretty singles after seven years of flashing your best and brightest smile? Maybe it’s not your personality or your antique doll collection hanging out on your bed. One man blames his string of dating strikeouts on Close-Up toothpaste’s failure to attract women, and is suing the product’s manufacturers as a result. [More]
Bertolli Takes Advantage Of Barilla’s PR Problems, Says Their Pasta Is For Everyone
By 9.27.13
In his controversial interview on an Italian radio program earlier this week, president of pasta company Barilla said that the company would never use the image of a family headed by gay or lesbian parents in one of its ads. Why? “[W]e like the traditional family,” Barilla said. He invited customers to buy a different pasta brand if they disagree. “Challenge accepted,” said Bertolli, a worldwide brand owned by Unilever. Except in Italian. [More]
