The British parent of Lever Brothers had introduced Lifebuoy as laundry soap, but as its chief executive and founder, William H. Lever, would write in 1921, ‘The public in America have decided that Lifebuoy is toilet soap’.
Although some complained that lifebuoy has a medicinal smell, it appeal to health was effective. In fact, in some cases, the company even emphasized the odor as a sign that soap was actively combating infection and disease.
Lever Brothers also issued an advertisement in 1919 featuring Lifebuoy as a ‘health soap’ and the fact that army required soldiers to carry soap as part of their equipment with ‘every man in the United States Army … compelled to use it’.
In England, during the Second World War, Lifebuoy vans carrying free soap and showers were sent to help bombed communities.
Lifebuoy soap ads made during the 1940s informed consumers that people had more than 2 million sweat glands on their bodies and that tension or excitement could cause ‘nervous body odor’. A tangy ‘Lifebuoy daily bath’ would prevent this problem, the ad claimed.
During 2002 to 2004 Lifebuoy experimented with a number of new formulations and repositioning exercise to make it more relevant to be new generations of consumers.
History of Lifebuoy soap
