Unilever brand Lifebuoy, the world’s number one hygiene soap1 brand, has today announced a multi-year partnership with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers the leading River Bus service on the River Thames. The new partnership, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, will see Lifebuoy as the ‘Official Hand Sanitiser Partner’ to the riverboat service aboard their fleet of vessels and a number of piers.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ pre-Covid passenger numbers had reached 4.3 million in 2019 and with the continued easing of lockdown they are expecting to see numbers rise again throughout the summer as commuters and sightseers return across London. To support this fantastic mode of transport Lifebuoy-branded dispensers and public safety messages to remind guests to regularly sanitise their hands will be clearly visible throughout the vessels to make it easy for both passengers and crew to sanitise their hands as they board and disembark.
Benoit Roger-Machart, Managing Director, Lifebuoy UK & Ireland said: “As we all start to go out and about more, we all need to play our part in helping to keep everyone safe when we’re travelling. One of the easiest ways to do this is to ensure we continue to sanitise our hands as it’s been proven as an effective measure at helping to keep COVID-19 at bay. When we are travelling around London, there are multiple points of contact, and with our state-of-the art dispensers we’re able to provide people with the reassurance they need for safer travel.”
Geoff Symonds, Chief Operating Officer Uber Boat by Thames Clippers said, “The safety of our passengers is paramount, and we pride ourselves on the enhanced measures we continue to take at this time. Securing a new Official Hand Sanitiser Partnership agreement with Unilever, thanks to the AEG Global Partnerships team, feels like a natural next step for us. With Unilever brand Lifebuoy, we are delighted to be offering a high-quality product across our services. This new initiative is part of a series of safety measures, for which we’ve been recognised by VisitEngland, The AA and The World Travel & Tourism Council, for helping reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.”
For further information, please contact:
Lifebuoy: ukpressoffice.ukpressoffice@unilever.com
Uberboat by Thames Clippers:uberboatbythamesclippers@sirencomms.com or call 020 7759 1150
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. We have 149,000 employees and generated sales of €50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty & Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation and The Vegetarian Butcher.
Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world’s first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it’s at the heart of how we run our company today.
The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:
- improving the health of the planet;
- improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.
While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognised in 2020 as a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and - for the tenth-consecutive year - as the top ranked company in the 2020 GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey.
For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com.
About Lifebuoy
Lifebuoy is the world’s number one hygiene soap1, sold in nearly 60 countries. Through the Lifebuoy brand, we aim to make a difference by creating quality, affordable products and promoting healthy hygiene habits. Since 2010, we have reached over 1 billion people through our handwashing programmes.
The desire to be clean, active and healthy is intrinsic to everyone – irrespective of age or economic status. We understand this and Lifebuoy soap has championed the cause for better health through hygiene for more than a century.
An inspiring vision for more hygienic, healthier and ultimately more vital communities is the driving force behind the Lifebuoy brand. To realize this vision, we look to consistently innovate and provide accessible Lifebuoy products to a wide variety of consumers. The vision also commits the Lifebuoy brand team to visible action, through inspiring projects that motivate consumers to improve their hygiene behaviour.
Since the launch of the Lifebuoy brand in 1894, we have supported people in their quest for better personal hygiene. The classic red bar of soap and its distinctive medicated carbolic scent was synonymous with cleanliness throughout the twentieth century. Today, the brand is so much more. With its many soap variants and specially designed body washes. These, along with the range of liquid hand washes and hand hygiene gel, ensure daily hygiene and freshness for the entire consumers both in and out of the home.
About Uber Boat by Thames Clippers
Co-founded in 1999 by Sean Collins (CEO) and Alan Woods (former Chairman), the company began with one boat servicing 80 passengers a day between Greenland (Rotherhithe) and Savoy piers. In 2006 AEG, owners and operators of The O2, acquired the majority stake in the company and since then the fleet has now grown substantially to 20 vessels. River Bus Express for The O2 is an additional fast direct service connecting London Eye and London Bridge to The O2 at North Greenwich on arena event nights. In April 2013, the company won the contract to run a River Bus service from Putney to Blackfriars. This route operates under licence and boats now also stop at Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, Chelsea Harbour and Cadogan Pier, bringing the total to 23 piers across the capital.
Now 22 years on from its launch, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ pre-Covid passenger numbers had reached 4.3 million in 2019. Passengers are able to use contactless payment, Oyster to pay as you go and now pre-book via the Uber app as well as the existing Thames Clippers Tickets app to travel with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, making river travel even easier.
A ticketing partnership with Uber launched in 2020 and encourages more people to enjoy travel by boat around the city, helping to link travel by river and road, all through the Uber app. Passengers can use the Uber app to purchase tickets in advance, before using a QR code on their phones to board the boats.
For more information visit the website www.uberboatbythamesclippers.com or follow @ThamesClippers on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
1Calculation based on Nielsen unit sales information for the total markets (approx. 40 countries). Latest 12 months available. Details available on request.