Degree partnered with an inclusive team of design experts from Wunderman Thompson, occupational therapists, engineers, consultants, and people living with disabilities across the globe to create a prototype for Degree Inclusive. Driven by a mission to make the deodorant application process more accessible, Degree Inclusive has been designed with the following revolutionary features as noted in the brand's product development video:
- A hooked design for one-handed usage
- Magnetic closures that make it easier to take the cap off and put it back on for users with limited grip and/or vision impairment
- Enhanced grip placement for easier application for users with limited grip or no arms
- A braille label with instructions for users with vision impairment
- A larger roll-on applicator to reach more surface area per swipe
To ensure this original prototype is effective and accessible, Degree is now currently in a beta program to engage and get input from people living with disabilities. In partnership with The Chicago Lighthouse, Open Style Lab, and Muscular Dystrophy Association, Degree has invited 200 people with disabilities in the U.S. to trial the prototype design and share their feedback with Degree on its concept, product features, and messaging, to help improve the innovation for its future commercial launch.
"As a brand that's committed to inspiring confidence in everyone to move more, Degree believes no one should be held back from experiencing the transformative benefits of movement," said Kathryn Swallow, Global Degree Brand Vice President. "More than 60 million people in the US live with a disability, yet products and experiences are still not designed with this community in mind. With Degree Inclusive we hope to inspire bold action across the industry to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal playing field."
By introducing a deodorant serving the needs of those with visual impairment and upper limb disabilities, Degree continues to advance its ongoing commitment to provide inclusive products for everyone - whomever you are and however you move.
"Breaking stereotypes unleashes creativity and drives growth. Degree Inclusive challenges what a deodorant product should be. It's a breakthrough accessible design that genuinely serves the needs of people with visual impairment and upper limb motor disabilities," said Aline Santos Farhat, EVP of Global Marketing and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Unilever.
Degree Inclusive marks the beginning of the brand's frontier into accessible design and the brand looks forward to making further progress on its long-term commitment to create equitable access to movement for all. To learn more about Degree Inclusive and the brand's commitment, visit www.DegreeDeodorant.com/DegreeInclusive and follow Degree and the hashtag #KeepMoving on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
About Degree Deodorant
Degree deodorants and antiperspirants are designed to inspire the confidence in everyone to move more. We make it our business to know more about sweat, and what we learn informs every product innovation to help you keep moving. As a brand designed for and dedicated to promoting movement, Degree has always believed in the power of movement to enhance our wellbeing. Yet, we know that the opportunity to move is not distributed equally, which is why we have made a commitment to ensure everyone has the freedom to move and help youth transform their lives through the power of movement. We are bringing this commitment to life through a variety of ongoing partnerships and programs that strive to help everyone find the confidence to move beyond limits. Visit www.degreedeodorant.com and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to learn more.
About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. We have 149,000 employees and generated sales of €50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes iconic brand such as: Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Lipton, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, St. Ives, Suave, TRESemmé, and Vaseline.
Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.
The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:
- improving the health of the planet;
- improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.
While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2020 as a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and – for the tenth-consecutive year – as the top ranked company in the 2020 GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca
1 CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
PRESS CONTACT
Caitlin Gronski
[email protected]
SOURCE Degree
Related Links
http://www.degreedeodorant.com
Share this article