Emami threatens HUL with legal action over the use of 'Glow & Handsome' brand name

Emami is consulting experts to take legal action against its competitor Hindustan Unilever for re-branding its men’s range of skincare product ‘Fair & Lovely’ to ‘Glow & Handsome’. Emami has found the name similar to one of its own men’s grooming products, ‘Emami Glow & Handsome’, which was launched digitally last week.

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HUL had last week announced the re-branding of its product ‘Fair & Lovely’ to ‘Glow & Lovely’ on the back of protests around the world related to #BlackLivesMatter. And yesterday, it announced re-branding the men’s ‘Fair & Lovely’ to ‘Glow & Handsome’. 

"HUL today announced the next step in the evolution of its skin care portfolio to a more inclusive vision of Positive Beauty, and introduces Glow & Lovely, the new name for the Fair & Lovely brand. Over the next few months, Glow & Lovely will be on the shelves, and future innovations will deliver on this new proposition," the company said in a regulatory filing.

However, Emami’s spokesperson in a media statement said, “Emami Limited, maker of ‘Fair and Handsome’ brand of men’s grooming products is the market leader in the men’s fairness cream with legal ownership of the trademarks.  We have already launched a week back our brand ‘Emami Glow & Handsome’ digitally and necessary application has already been made to the relevant authorities.”

The spokesperson added, “Although shocked, we are not surprised to note HUL’s unfair business practice, which has been prevalent time and again to damage our brand image.  It goes to prove Fair and Handsome’s strong brand equity in the market that the competition is wary of. We will be consulting our legal experts to address this further.”

Legal feud between the two competitors is not new.

In 2018, HUL had filed a caveat petition in the Mumbai High Court against Emami, anticipating the rival to approach the court against an HUL ad that takes a pot shot at Emami’s Fair and Handsome fairness cream for men. HUL had then launched a new campaign, which named the rival’s brand, after re-launching the product. Emami had then mentioned this whole exercise from HUL’s end as ‘unfortunate and in poor taste.’

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