Cif
Encyclopedia
Cif is a brand of household
cleaning products by Unilever
, known as Jif in Australia
, New Zealand
, Middle East
and the Nordic countries
. Cif is the largest selling abrasive cleaner product in the world.
in 1969, it is marketed against scouring powders such as Vim
, as a creamy and hence protective but powerful domestic cleaner. Initially focused on cream cleansers for the kitchen and bathroom, it was launched using a now famous "skater
" advert, which highlighted how scouring powders could "scratch like skates on ice."
Asia is Cif's fastest-growing market, and India its largest.
In Sweden
, Great Britain
, and South Africa
the products were sold under the name Vim
before this was changed to Jif, the launch name in Ireland
, the Netherlands
and Hong Kong
. In 2001 the name in these countries was changed to Cif in order to harmonise marketing and product inventories across the continent. Despite this, many in the UK continue to call the product Jif.
In Belgium
, Finland
and Portugal
, the product was known as Vim for quite some time, after which it became Cif. In Canada
and India
, it is still called Vim. Recently advertisements for Cif surface grease cleaner have started to appear in India, while Vim name is still used for the kitchen dish cleaning product. In Germany
, the cleaner's name is Viss. In Norway
the product is still today traded as jif.
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
cleaning products by Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
, known as Jif in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
. Cif is the largest selling abrasive cleaner product in the world.
History
Launched in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1969, it is marketed against scouring powders such as Vim
Vim (cleaning product)
Vim is the name of a range of household cleaning products originally produced by Lever Brothers. The Vim brand is currently owned by European multi-national Spotless Group.-History:...
, as a creamy and hence protective but powerful domestic cleaner. Initially focused on cream cleansers for the kitchen and bathroom, it was launched using a now famous "skater
Skater
Skater may refer to:*Skating , various activities:** Skater or skateboarder - someone who practices skateboarding, i.e. someone who rides a skateboard** Skater - someone who rides with rollerskates...
" advert, which highlighted how scouring powders could "scratch like skates on ice."
Asia is Cif's fastest-growing market, and India its largest.
Name
The Cif product is sold under the names Jif, Vim, Viss and Handy Andy, depending on which of the 51 countries it is sold in.In Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
the products were sold under the name Vim
Vim (cleaning product)
Vim is the name of a range of household cleaning products originally produced by Lever Brothers. The Vim brand is currently owned by European multi-national Spotless Group.-History:...
before this was changed to Jif, the launch name in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. In 2001 the name in these countries was changed to Cif in order to harmonise marketing and product inventories across the continent. Despite this, many in the UK continue to call the product Jif.
In Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, the product was known as Vim for quite some time, after which it became Cif. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, it is still called Vim. Recently advertisements for Cif surface grease cleaner have started to appear in India, while Vim name is still used for the kitchen dish cleaning product. In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the cleaner's name is Viss. In Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
the product is still today traded as jif.
Products
- Cif Bathroom Mousse
- Cif Stainless SteelStainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
Cleaner - Cif Bathroom Cleaner
- Cif Kitchen Cleaner
- Cif Power Cream
External links
- Cif product page
- Canadian Vim product page
- Jif product website (in SwedishSwedish languageSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
) - Jif product website (in NorwegianBokmålBokmål is one of two official Norwegian written standard languages, the other being Nynorsk. Bokmål is used by 85–90% of the population in Norway, and is the standard most commonly taught to foreign students of the Norwegian language....
) - Viss product website (in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) - Cif Argentina (in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
)