Unilever’s renowned Home Care brands, Dirt Is Good (Persil) and Comfort, are partnering with the leading consumer technology and domestic appliance company, Samsung. Together, they aim to transform the future of home laundry, delivering superior and innovative products.
Exciting developments are underway in the laundry sector. Changes in consumer habits and behaviors have led to the need for different, shorter, and more sustainable wash cycles, new fabric types, and diverse stain removal techniques. Laundry, once considered a chore, now holds significant emotional engagement for many.
Simultaneously, laundry chemistry and machine technology are advancing rapidly, driven by AI and robotics innovations. Until now, laundry detergents, fabric enhancers, and washing machines have mostly been developed independently. To create a seamless and sustainable laundry experience, these elements must converge. This is why Dirt Is Good (OMO, Persil, Surf Excel, Breeze, Ala, Skip, Rinso) and Comfort are collaborating with Samsung to co-create a new “laundry lifestyle.”
The Potential for Significant Growth
This strategic partnership exemplifies Unilever’s Growth Action Plan, focusing on delivering substantial innovations. By integrating future insights and learnings, the partnership aims for a comprehensive understanding of the new “laundry lifestyle,” empowering R&D teams to leverage the rapid technological advancements in both laundry and consumer technology sectors to drive growth and innovation.
Together, Dirt Is Good, Comfort, and Samsung will explore delivering a fully connected laundry experience. By combining technologies from both sectors, they aim to uncover how AI and smart technologies can make laundry more convenient, simpler, and tailored to modern-day needs.
Eduardo Campanella, Business Group President of Unilever Home Care, states, “Up until now, washing machines and laundry products have developed in isolation. This partnership with Samsung will see us co-create the future of laundry with unprecedented speed and agility. We’ll combine changing consumer behaviors with in-home technology trends, creating a smarter approach to laundry that suits today’s busy lifestyles.”
A Glimpse of Future Innovations
Persil’s Wonder Wash was tested using advanced Samsung bespoke AI washing machines at Unilever’s Port Sunlight R&D hub, the center of their laundry innovation. This product is designed for 15-minute cold cycles, increasingly popular for their efficiency, helping consumers save up to 30% water and 60% energy compared to longer wash cycles.
Earlier this year, Samsung introduced a new app feature that allows users to scan detergent barcodes to determine the right amount of detergent for a wash cycle, saving time and product for a more efficient and sustainable laundry process. Unilever contributed relevant data from Dirt Is Good and Comfort to enhance Samsung’s database, creating a more convenient experience for consumers.
Tati Lindenberg, VP of Marketing at Dirt Is Good, says, “Laundry isn’t always a hot topic, but this partnership allows us to reach savvy shoppers looking for smarter laundry solutions. Our collaboration involves new innovations and cross-channel activations to engage consumers in what is often seen as a household chore.”
By combining their expertise and insights, Unilever and Samsung are set to create a smarter, more sustainable approach to laundry, transforming it from a mundane task into an innovative and emotionally engaging experience.
