Not normal - Unilever removes 'normal' from its packaging

Words are powerful.

They have an impact.

Particularly in how we see ourselves in the world.

For example, think about how Crayola had a 'flesh' crayon for years despite the fact that it wasn't representative of a broad range of skin tones.

Examples like that are important to consider when copywriting, branding, or communicating.

This week, Unilever announced it was removing the word 'normal' from its beauty products packaging.

As in there will be no more mentions of 'for normal skin' or 'for normal hair'

And I am here for it.

For one, who defines what normal is?

And if something is normal, then that means that anything that does not conform to that standard is abnormal.

It is exclusionary language, something Unilever determined through research.

So, it made the decision to change that, also using the opportunity to announce there would be no altering of any model's skin tone, size, or shape in its marketing.

These are positive developments, embodied (pardon the pun) by a new slogan: "Say no to 'normal' and yes to positive beauty."

If there is anything to take away from Unilever's decision it is this: the words you choose to market your product or convey a message have the power to resonate or repel.

The more inclusive your messaging is, the more engaging it will be.

When copywriting, look at your content, see if there are any messages and wording that could be exclusionary for a particular audience, and remove or change those elements.

Because anything less is not a good look.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. Let me know at mark@wordsworthinc.com.