The No. 1 Brand in Disposable Swimpants Introduces Line of Sunscreen Lotions and UVB Sun Sensors to Help Protect Kids from Harmful UVB Rays and Sunburn
DALLAS, March 6, 2007 – Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) today announced a major extension of its market-leading Huggies Little Swimmers brand with the launch of a new line of innovative sun care products. The new products are the first extension of the Huggies Little Swimmers brand, which created the disposable swimpants category in 1998.
The Huggies Little Swimmers sun care product line includes three sunscreen lotions and the market's only patented, self-adhesive UVB sun sensors geared to help detect and monitor children's exposure to Ultraviolet B rays that cause sunburn and are most commonly linked to skin cancer.
"With the rollout of these new sun care products, Huggies Little Swimmers becomes the only brand to offer moms a total health and hygiene solution to ensure a fun and enjoyable water play experience for their kids," said Bob Thibault, President of Kimberly-Clark's North American Personal Care products. "The new sunscreen lotions and UVB sun sensors provide an unparalleled approach to helping mom manage one of her chief health concerns during water play – her child's skin exposure to the sun."
Huggies Little Swimmers sunscreen lotions come in a fragrance-free and a mango & coconut formula. Also available is a blue melon splash spray lotion. All three products provide moisturizing SPF 50 protection and are available in 7.5-ounce bottles.
In addition to sunscreen lotions, the Huggies Little Swimmers brand is offering a 24-count carton of self-adhesive, water-resistant UVB sun sensors. These patented UVB sun sensors are placed on a child's skin or clothing and change color when it is time to take protective action, such as apply more sunscreen, put on protective clothing or seek shade.
The Huggies Little Swimmers UVB sun sensors are offered by K-C through an exclusive partnership with SunHealth Solutions, a privately held consumer sun care products company based in Naples, Fla. In 2006, K-C partnered with the company to exclusively provide free samples of the UVB sun sensors in packages of Huggies Little Swimmers disposable swimpants. By the end of the swim season, K-C had provided nearly 20 million samples of the sun sensors. Based on the favorable response, K-C this year will again provide free samples in specially marked Huggies Little Swimmers packages.
"I'm excited to have had the opportunity to partner with Kimberly-Clark in bringing attention to the importance of protecting children's skin from overexposure to the sun. In light of the success we achieved together in 2006, I'm enthusiastic about growing our relationship this year with the introduction of a Huggies Little Swimmers branded sun sensor," said Tom Laughlin, President of SunHealth Solutions.
Huggies Little Swimmers swimpants are worn by more than 6 million kids, and are currently available in more than 50 countries. The brand helped drive double-digit growth in 2006, in a global category that has grown to more than $100 million in retail sales. "Since Huggies Little Swimmers is the category leader and the brand moms trust to provide total swim time solutions to meet their needs, offering a new sun care product line for children under the brand's name is a natural extension," said Thibault.
Beginning in April, Huggies Little Swimmers sun care products, along with the brand's disposable swimpants, will be available nationwide in the U.S. at leading grocery stores, mass merchandisers and drugstores. The rollout of the new sun care product line will be supported with advertising, in-store promotions, FSIs, public relations activities and online information at www.littleswimmers.com.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people—nearly a quarter of the world's population—trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 135-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.
About SunHealth Solutions, LLC
SunHealth Solutions is a sun care consumer products company that manufacturers the SunSignals® UV Sensors, a patented, thin, easy-to-use self-adhesive patch that can reliably monitor exposure to the most dangerous type of radiation – ultraviolet B (UVB) – that causes sunburn and is most linked to skin damage and skin cancer. To learn more about SunSignals UV Sensors and other innovative sun care products from SunHealth Solutions, visit www.sunhealthsolutions.com.
Joey Mooring
972-281-1443
joey.mooring@kcc.com
