Kleenex will re-brand its "Mansize" tissues after consumers complained the name was sexist, touching off a social media conversation about what's in a name, the AP reports. The company behind Kleenex, Kimberly-Clark, said Thursday that the product, which is sold only in the UK, will now be called "Kleenex Extra Large." Packages for the tissues describe them as "confidently strong" and "comfortingly soft." Kimberly-Clark told Britain's Daily Telegraph that it in "no way suggests" that being both soft and strong was "an exclusively masculine trait, nor do we believe that the Mansize branding suggests or endorses gender inequality." "We are always grateful to customers who take time to tell us how our products can be improved, and we carefully consider all suggestions," the company said in a statement.
Kimberly-Clark is not the first company to run into a branding issue forced by changing social views. Among the more memorable casualties was stationery maker BiC, which ran into disparaging comments when trying to market pink and purple pens "for her." Amazon was flooded by reviews poking fun at the strategy and the notion that it was "designed to fit comfortably in a woman's hand." In another example, the British grocery chain Waitrose on Thursday said it will be changing the name of its Gentleman's Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll because of complaints the name was sexist. A social media post about the sandwich touched off some spirited replies, with some noting that Pink Lady apples, Lady Grey tea and lady fingers could be subjected to name changes.
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