Twenty years after launching the country’s first men’s fairness cream brand Fair & Handsome, consumer goods company Emami on Thursday said it was relaunching the product as Smart & Handsome to reflect changing needs.
The company will spend Rs 15 crore over the next two months in a 360-degree rebranding exercise, launch new products across face, skin, body and beard care as well as fragrances and target a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore over the next 3-4 years. Actor Kartik Aaryan will be the new face of the brand.
The move to relaunch Fair & Handsome comes over four years after most rivals such as Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Nivea and Garnier dropped the ‘fairness’ name from their whitening creams in response to online criticism of the same.
Emami had also dragged HUL to court in 2020 over the use of the label Glow & Handsome as the new name for its men’s fairness cream under Fair & Lovely. In 2024, Emami had received a favourable verdict in the matter, though it clarified on Thursday that the court case had nothing to do with its decision to rebrand Fair & Handsome now.
In a media interaction, Emami vice-chairman and whole-time director Mohan Goenka said that there was no pressing need for the company to change the Fair & Handsome name, since male consumers were not too concerned about the wider debate around colourism that had dogged the female fairness cream market.
Emami is the leader in the Rs 250-crore male fairness cream market with a 65% share. It also a presence in the Rs 500-crore men’s face wash category with Fair & Handsome, implying the total addressable market for the brand right now is just around Rs 750 crore, Goenka said.
“The change to Smart & Handsome was led by the need to tap the larger male grooming market, valued at nearly Rs 18,000 crore, in India. Grooming needs are changing today from mere fairness to a broader spectrum of needs. The market is also set to double in size by 2032. We wanted to tap these new male beauty codes that highlight a shift towards individuality, diversity and confidence,” he said.
Emami will tap its base of 1.5 million retail outlets, where Fair & Handsome (now called Smart & Handsome) has been traditionally distributed. The company will also reach over 25,000 modern trade outlets as well as the online. Smart & Handsome will be available in packs starting at Rs 10 a unit and above.
Goenka also added that Emami’s men’s grooming portfolio, which comprises The Man Company and Smart & Handsome contributed 10% to the firm’s overall revenue. This is expected to touch 15-16% over the next 2-3 years, he said.