Rexona is an Australian deodorant and antiperspirant brand owned by British conglomerate Unilever.

Rexona
Product typeAntiperspirant deodorant
OwnerUnilever
CountryAustralia
Introduced1908; 116 years ago (1908)
Related brands
  • Sure
  • (UK, Ireland & India)
  • Degree
  • (US & Canada)
  • Rexena
  • (Japan & South Korea)
  • Shield
  • (South Africa[citation needed])
MarketsWorldwide
Previous ownersHelene Curtis (Degree in the US & Canada)
TaglineIt won't let you down
Websitewww.rexona.com

While marketed under the Rexona name in most countries, it is known as Rexena (Japanese: レセナ; Korean: 레세나) in Japan and South Korea, Sure in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India, Shield in South Africa, and Degree in the United States and Canada.

The Rexona aerosol spray deodorant range are manufactured in Australia. All the Rexona deodorant types (roll ons, etc.) are now manufactured in the Philippines.[citation needed]

History

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Rexona was created in Australia in 1908 by Alice Sheffer, the wife of Samuel Fuller, who established the Sheldon Drug Company. In about 1930, Rexona was taken over by British soap manufacturer Lever Brothers, which became Unilever following a merger with Dutch company Margarine Unie[1] Unilever integrated Rexona into its global personal care line-up of brands. The products are available in varying forms including as aerosols, pumps, roll-ons, sticks and creams. In 2015, the brand launched a new range of fragrances with a new canister design, at the same time changing the formula.[citation needed]

Internationally

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India

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In India, it was launched in 1947 as a rival to Hamam, then a Tata product, by then Hindustan Unilever. As Hindustan Unilever already uses Rexona as a soap brand, the Sure brand was used instead for deodorants, as it is in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[citation needed]

United States

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Degree is a brand of antiperspirant for both men and women that is manufactured by Unilever. It comes in stick, gel, and spray forms. The stick form often comes with slogans pressed into the deodorant itself by the protective seal. For example, "Cool Rush" comes with the slogan "Take The Risk". The Degree brand name was created by Helene Curtis, which Unilever acquired in 1996.[2]

Sure brand

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In the United States, Sure is an antiperspirant brand created by Procter & Gamble in 1972, marketed to both men and women. Innovative Brands, LLC, a portfolio company of Jahm Najafi Companies, acquired the brand from Procter & Gamble in September 2006,[3] after P&G had acquired Gillette.[4] The brand's ownership transferred to Helen of Troy Limited, which acquired the brand from Innovative Brands in March 2010.[5] Since being acquired by Helen of Troy in the United States, Sure is now marketed exclusively as a woman's antiperspirant. Although the brand already exists in the United States, Sure exists as a brand in the UK, Ireland and India, as the localized branding of Rexona, which has no connection to Sure's branding in the US.

In June 8, 2021, Helen of Troy announced it has sold its personal care business, including Sure to Tengram Capital Partners (High Ridge Brands). [6]

Marketing

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The Rexona and Sure brands were sponsors for the Williams Formula 1 team. The brands had previously sponsored the Lotus F1 team before from the 2014 F1 season onwards.[citation needed]

Rexona also developed a flash platformer called "Power Pamplona", which involves a bull runner racing across various countries.

Rexona, Rexena, and Sure brands are the sponsors of the English football clubs Southampton, Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Manchester City.[7][8] Rexona and Sure brands also sponsor the top Spanish football competition, La Liga, for the Latin American, African and Southeast Asian markets.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "About Us". Rexona. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  2. ^ Collins, Glenn (15 February 1996). "Unilever Agrees to Buy Helene Curtis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  3. ^ Dealbook (26 September 2006). "P&G Sells Sure Deodorant Brand". DealBook. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Procter & Gamble Acquires Gillette". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  5. ^ "UPDATE 2-Helen of Troy to buy privately held Kaz for $260 mln". Reuters. 9 December 2010. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. ^ "HRB Brands Announces Acquisition of Personal Care Brands from Helen of Troy". Global Newswire. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  7. ^ Glendenning, Matthew (29 October 2020). "Southampton joins Wolves, City and Chelsea in Sure portfolio". SportBusiness Sponsorship. SBG Companies Limited. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Rexona signs global partnerships with Premier League giants". SportBusiness Sponsorship. SBG Companies Limited. 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  9. ^ "LaLiga and Unilever reach worldwide sponsorship agreement for Clear Men and Rexona brands" (Press release). Liga de Fútbol Profesional. 29 September 2018. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
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