Shanghaiist: Do Asians need deodorant? Unilever say yes

James Creegan

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:47:11 +0800

Well since I know they're interested, I'm pitching a new idea to Unilever this week. I'll let you know if they go for it

WatchBagDVD

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:46:15 +0800

Just rub a xialongbao under each pit and go...

Andy Best

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:53:13 +0800

That reminds me of that Kramer story arc in Seinfeld. He got an in to pitch his scent idea 'the beach' (smell like you got back from the beach) to Calvin Klein but the exec laughed him out of the office. In a later episode he smells Jerry's model GF's new CK scent, "The ocean" and realised they ripped him off.

James Creegan

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:50:26 +0800

I love women with a nice delicate perfume, big tits and hair that smells like freshly mown grass. What could be wrong with someone who's clean and scented? Bacon scented perfume is the obvious next evolutionary step in my opinion, but those Calvin Klein idiots repeatedly ignore my letters.

Feds

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:48:13 +0800

A lot of the people I've met in Shanghai brush their teeth in the morning when they wake up, then at night before sleep. In between they eat three meals - that's right - they brush their teeth before eating breakfast and walk out the door with green onion between their teeth. A lot of men and women use toothpicks in restaurants, but that just ain't the same as a good brush. Needless to say on the subway home there are a lot of dental issues, and I'm talking about the middle class here. No one seems to have ever been to a dentist for a cleaning; many only go when they have something hurting. I provoke surprise and muffled laughs when I pull out a toothbrush at work after lunch. As for B.O., office workers have issues because of the pressure cooker they work in. But more often it's the manual laborers and elderly, who don't wash daily. Seriously, many don't. Often their only access to a shower is at a public 'bathhouse'. Plus a lot of people won't take baths or showers because they're afraid of getting cold afterwards. Many people, even those under 40, seem to have this fear of getting cold ingrained in them. They wash themselves with hot towels. It may be just as sanitary, but I have my suspicions. Oh yeah, and it gets up to 37 degrees with 99% humidity in the summer. Think that plays a part?

Andy Best

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:43:35 +0800

Derek I find strong perfume worse actually. Being a tee-totalling non-scent wearer, when I see people of either sex with make-up, scent and a cigarette - I feel like I'm on the set of a period movie, surrounded by 'fops' - like Plunkett and MacLane. It's a surreal world from my point of view. But that's just me ... and err, other people who don't drink or smoke ... anyone?

nanheyangrouchuan

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:15:06 +0800

Don't some Asians get surgery to remove armpit sweat glands? Also, Unilever ought to push mouthwash in China. Body odor problems usually aren't a problem on the subway or bus but when someone turns in my direction and exhales I feel punchy. There is no cultural excuse for yuck-mouth.

Fuzi

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:46:37 +0800

There is a big difference between a fresh "natural" smell and offensive body odor. The later is a stale, bacteria-riddled, noxious air that immediately makes you want to turn and get away from it. In my experience, East Asians aren't immune from having this problem. I don't like piling on of fragrances and the overpowering perfumes of most products, either. But one can present a fresh air about them without resorting to smelling like you've been dipped in cologne. Personally, I like an unscented antiperspirant. Now, the bad breath is another issue. Is it OK to tell someone their breath smells like something a vulture rejected? I've casually offered people a mint (taking one myself to make it less awkward) in the hopes they get the idea. I do hope Unilever starts a big marketing campaign in France, as well. It is sorely needed there!

zideshowbob

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:45:55 +0800

Big up, Unilever! Maybe then a 15RMB product is no more sold by 60RMB. I had some "private importers" during my half year stay. But would have been more easy if available for less!

mmonk

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:12:03 +0800

i find the "natural smell" can be quite sexy.

Derek Sandhaus

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:37:51 +0800

'There's nothing worse than approaching desirable person and then coming across a dense stench of perfume, aftershave or scented deodourant - especially if your asthmatic or have allergies.' Yeah there is: approaching a desirable person and finding out they have really bad BO.

vera

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:51:57 +0800

I'd say that halitosis and general inattention to the teeth and gums are the biggest hygiene problem in China. Ever notice that pervasive acrid smell that infuses the metro? Ever talk to someone with breath so bad or teeth so gruesome you just want to run away? Where are all the dentists and orthodontists tapping this huge market???

Andy Best

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:19:21 +0800

Civilised people across the world should avoid BO by simpy staying properly hydrated with plenty of clean bottled water. When in sports or hard work situations, some odourless 'sports stick', type back up can be applied. But as for men and women drenching themselves in scent - it's a bizarre throwback to cloves in your pocket at the Elizebethan theatre. There's nothing worse than approaching desirable person and then coming across a dense stench of perfume, aftershave or scented deodourant - especially if your asthmatic or have allergies. Lynx was massive when I was in high school, dehydrated, unwashed self-concious boys frantically psraying themselves down with 'Musk' or 'Africa' or whatever. It all could have be averted with some basic hygeine classes.

hotshotdebut

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:16:05 +0800

I will definitely recommend this product to my coworker. He is either sweaty or his clothes stink.

taihanasie

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:12:33 +0800

I would agree that East Asians don't smell as much, but they do indeed get BO, and a few really really could use the wonders of deodorant. As a frequent gym-goer, I can attest to that. Unilever is right though that the main difficulty in expanding in East Asia is the opinion of locals that they don't smell. The biological lack of the glands that produce the BO should keep the market for deodorant smaller on a per capita basis, but the fact that some people here obviously DO have the glands, combined with the larger number of people, should at least ensure a sizeable market as long as opinions change. One nitpicky point: It is statistically impossible for China's average spending on deodorant to be 0RMB. Even when I was living in Lanzhou, Gansu, I was able to find it in specialty stores (very few, mind you). So some people must be using it even there, although very few. And it is in all of the Watsons and Mannings in Shenzhen. They wouldn't supply it without a market. Usage may be less than 1 RMB on average, but the fact that it is being used by a few already bodes well for the marketing chances especially if Unilever can persuade people that deodorant is what "civilised" people wear. I am not trying to be derogatory with the use of that word. I have read several times before that many new products marketed in China have been able to take off through campaigns that persuade people that the product is either more modern or a luxury product. This appeals to the nouveaux riches, who in China are currently the fashion trendsetters. Farmers and factory labourers won't start using deodorant anytime soon, but new products can trickle down to the masses after being adopted by those of greater means. This is how China is falling into the polluting car trap. People in China see cars as status symbols, so they buy cars. As more cars get on the road, the rest of the Chinese identify the status symbol, decide they want it, and then buy one once they have the means.