Comfort (fabric softener)

  Comfort is the brand name of a Unilever fabric softener sold in the UK and around the world. The range includes Comfort Pure (for delicate skin) [1] and Comfort Crème (a premium brand) [2]. Scents include Passion Flower and Ylang Ylang, Lily and Riceflower, Wild Pear and Ginkgo and the Original Comfort Blue.

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History

Comfort was the first fabric softener to be launched in the UK in 1969. Today Comfort is a global brand, operating in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

1984 saw the launch of the first concentrated fabric softener for Comfort, which was three times more concentrated than regular fabric conditioner.

In the 1990s, the Comfort brand went through a number of changes: a new logo and more modern packaging in 1992 and the first fully biodegradable formulation in 1993. In 1998, Comfort replaced cartons with more environmentally-friendly and lightweight crushable bottles, introduced their first hypoallergenic fabric conditioner and launched tumble dryer sheets.

In 2004 Comfort produced the first ever fabric softener capsules in the UK, Comfort Pearls. In 2005 Comfort launched a premium variant called Comfort Crème. [3]

Advertising: Clothworld

Comfort’s current advertising features a world made of cloth, known as Clothworld. The campaign follows the adventures of the Clothworld people, who take care of themselves using different Comfort products.

The Clothworld campaign first appeared in 2000 and was created by Unilever and Ogilvy and Mather [4]. The original Clothworld characters were teenage couple Lisa Weaver and Darren Denim, who were made by Aardman Animation, the creators of Wallace and Gromit.

Gradually, new members of Lisa's family (her mum Karen and sister Daisy) have been introduced, as well as other inhabitants of Clothworld, including Quinitin the beautician, Stitcher the school bully, Satina the soul diva and more recently, Dr Comfy.

The latest additions to Clothworld are Jeannie and Cardboard Man. The current television advertisement features Jeannie walking through a cloth French Riviera styled town. Her flexible jeans contrast with the stiffness of Cardboard Man.

The Clothworld campaign has travelled the world, running across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and has recently launched in Asia. As the campaign has spread globally, the Clothworld characters are becoming popular in their own right with the Lisa and Darren character dolls selling on EBay as collectors' items. In Asia, the campaign is slightly different. Darren has been transformed into a popstar named Andy. The character Andy now has his own real world record and fan base.

Comfort also has grown a group of advocates for its Comfort Pure brand. They are now as the Comfort-eers and are an army of mothers who state that they believe Comfort Pure is the best choice for them and their babies.

Comfort has a number of partnerships with brands in the UK, including Mothercare on Comfort Pure and Debenhams. Comfort also sponsors the Prima Fashion Awards[5].

Comfort's tagline is 'Comfort makes a good clothes day'. [6]

References

1. Comfort Pure website: Comfort Pure (for delicate skin). Accessed May 30 2007
2. Comfort Creme website: Comfort Crème (for extra luxurious softness). Accessed May 30 2007
3. Unilever Website: Comfort - How it all Began. Accessed May 30 2007
4. Ogilvy & Mather clients list. Accessed June 152007
5. Comfort Pure website: Meet the Comfort-eers. Accessed June 15 2007
6. Comfort Prima Fashion Awards.Accessed June 152007