Kleenex rebrands ‘sexist’ Mansize tissues following customer complaints
Written by News on 18/10/2018
Kleenex has binned its “Mansize” branding after some customers complained it was sexist.
After 60 years, the tissue boxes will be renamed “Extra Large” in response to criticism from customers and feminist campaigners.
Kimberley-Clark, which owns Kleenex, said it succumbed to growing public demand to change the name, despite not itself believing that the Mansize branding was sexist.
It comes amid a wider backlash against other gendered products, with Waitrose apologising and promising to change the name of its “Gentleman’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll”.
Kleenex announced the changes on social media after customers challenged the branding.
Customer Lisa Hancox wrote: “Hi @KleenexUK. My four-year-old son asked me what was written here. Then he asked, why are they called Mansize? Can girls, boys & mummies use them?… He suggests you should call them ‘very large tissues’. It is 2018.”
Another consumer tweeted: “In this day and age, is it right for @KleenexUK to have a product that is MANsized? The world is changing, maybe they should too?”
Others ridiculed the step, with some deeming it unnecessary.
Twitter user Derek Carpenter said: “Yep, I AM getting Old! Today’s issue is Kleenex Man Sized Tissues disappearing because they are sexist. Whatever next. How did we ever become this sensitive. I shouldn’t laugh – but it’s hard not to.”
Alex B Cann added: “Kleenex Mansize tissues to rebrand, as the name is deemed sexist. What can we add to the list…Loose Women, Manchester & Mothercare, perhaps?”
The company later revealed the change in name on Twitter without offering an explanation, writing: “Thank you for sharing your concern. We recently made changes to our Mansize branding and will now be labelled as Extra Large, keep an eye out in shops.”
Sam Smethers, the chief executive of feminist group The Fawcett Society, explained why the move matters.
She told Sky News: “Kleenex’s re-branding matters because throughout marketing and advertising, we use lazy gender stereotypes to sell products and convey messages which reinforce those stereotypes.
“For example, strength for men and weakness for women or we find women’s bodies used and objectified.
“I use ‘man-sized’ tissues all the time – it just means I have a bad cold!”
A spokesman for Kimberly-Clark told The Telegraph: “Kleenex Mansize tissues have been on shelves for the past 60 years.
“Over that time, the brand has always been characterised by a much larger tissue size, which is both soft and strong.
“Despite that, our consumer service is registering consistent increase of complaints on gender concern related to Mansize sub-brand.
“Kimberly-Clark in no way suggests that being both soft and strong is an exclusively masculine trait, nor do we believe that the Mansize branding suggests or endorses gender inequality.”
(c) Sky News 2018: Kleenex rebrands ‘sexist’ Mansize tissues following customer complaints
