P&G-owned brand Olay has launched ‘Easy Open Lid’, designed specifically for the 15% of consumers who live with disabilities.
The company brainstormed with help from consumers with disabilities, from dexterity issues and limb differences to chronic issues causing joint pain and visual disabilities to develop the new lid. It features a winged cap designed to be easy to open, an extra-grip raised lid, high contrast product label and Braille text that reads ‘face cream’, in order to make the product easily identifiable for users with visual disabilities.
Available at no extra charge, the more inclusive design will be integrated into Olay’s most popular products including its Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer, Retinol 24 Face Moisturizer, and Collagen Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer.
Speaking about the new lid, Chris Heiert, Senior Vice President of Olay, said, “We were honoured to work closely with a passionate group of people to bring this Easy Open Lid to life.
“As a global brand, it’s our responsibility to ensure that all consumers have access to products that serve their needs and fit seamlessly into their daily lives.”
As part of its continuing goal to create a more inclusive beauty industry, Olay has chosen not to patent its new lid, instead sharing the design with rival companies to develop more accessible packaging.
This follows a succession of recent strategies by Olay’s parent company P&G to make its brands more accessible; this summer, P&G obtained the global marketing rights to the postponed 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
The consumer goods giant has also ramped up inclusivity through its hair care brands. Last month, Pantene partnered with blind BBC reporter and disability activist Lucy Edwards to speak about how beauty can better accommodate the disabled community, while Herbal Essences launched its Amazon Alexa tool, letting users access information about hair care products and ingredients through the device.
Journalist and model Madison Lawson, who lives with muscular dystrophy and worked with Olay to develop its new lid, added, “Accessibility makes things better for everyone.
“Everyone’s been there where you get product on your hands or you’re trying to open something and you can’t, so I think it’s cool that this is designed with us specifically in mind but it also makes everyone’s life better.”
