Kimberly-Clark said encouraging parents to try out its premium Little Movers brand was the impetus behind the limited edition launch of Huggies Jeans diapers this summer. Designed to act almost as a replacement product for apparel, the jeans-style diapers use pigmented polypropylene coverstock and advanced printing technologies to look more like a piece of clothing than a diaper in the hot summer months.
“The real insight is that moms love seeing babies in jeans but most babies are wearing disposable diapers under their clothing,” said Keegan Coulter, Huggies brand manager. “With the summer heat, fewer layers of clothing will keep baby cooler and fewer outfit changes make moms’ lives easier.”
According to reports, the jeans-style diapers, priced about 5-7% more per unit than regular Little Movers diapers, significantly boosted Huggies Little Movers’ marketshare position and executives expect that future limited edition launches will capitalize on the same type of graphics technology.
rnDiaper producers have new printing-on-nonwovens technologies to thank for their ability to capitalize on this “cuteness” factor. “ This new technology is just one of the many advances nonwovens manufacturers have made in recent years to allow their customers in the diaper market to create new products or offer new features to their customers. This month, NONWOVENS INDUSTRY presents a comprehensive review of the global disposable diaper market. Associate editor Sandra Levy discusses the steps diaper manufacturers are taking to defend their market positions in her feature story, Oh Baby! There’s a New Diaper Battleground on page 32. This report is complemented by a Euromonitor study on the global baby diaper market beginning on page 54 as well as a global directory of diaper manufacturers on page 46.
Karen McIntyre
Editor
karenb@rodpub.com