Ujala - The Supreme Whitener

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Themes: Advertising and Promotion
Period : 1983-2003
Organization : Jyothi Laboratories
Pub Date : 2003
Countries : India
Industry : FMCG

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Case Code : MKTG051
Case Length : 10 Pages
Price: Rs. 300;

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About Fabric Whiteners

Fabric whiteners, which are classified as 'laundry aids,' complement the use of detergents by making clothes whiter. Fabric whiteners can be further classified as bleaches and blues. Bleaches whiten and brighten fabrics and help remove stubborn stains by converting the dirt into colorless, soluble particles that can be easily removed by detergents. A variety of different bleaches, with different chemical compositions, are available in the market (Refer Table I).

TABLE I
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BLEACHES

Type of bleach	Use	Best as…
Chlorine (Liquid or Gel)	Removes stains, whitens and brightens; repeated use weakens fabrics	Disinfectant, whitener
Hydrogen Peroxide	Removes stains, whitens	Milder solution able to whiten fabrics
Oxygen	Removes stains;	Safe for most colored fabrics
Color removers	Reduce or completely removes colored dyes from apparel	Removing rust or dye stains from white apparel

Source: Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Blues, or optical brighteners, contain a blue dye or pigment or a solution of fine blue powder. During the washing process, the fabric picks up the blue color, which makes it 'appear' whiter. Optical brighteners work on the principle that 'white with a little blue tint appears to be brighter⁴' (if two similar white fabrics are kept under a spectrograph, the one with a blue tint would appear brighter).

The popularity of blues in India is rooted in the country's societal system and cultural values. The cleanliness of clothes has traditionally been regarded as an indicator of the efficiency of the housekeeper, that is, the lady of the house. Consequently, most of the detergents in the country were sold on the 'our product washes the whitest' platform. A majority of the detergent and washing soap advertisements emphasized whiteness and featured literally 'shining' white clothes as a symbol of the housewife's prowess.

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4] The human eye sees objects because of the light reflected by them. When light falls on an object, it absorbs the full spectrum of the light and throws back only a part of it. The color of an object is perceived according to the part of the spectrum reflected by it. The blue tint on white fabrics absorbs the yellow part of the spectrum, thereby making the yellowish tint invisible. This makes the cloth look whiter.