The brand was co-founded by Lizzie Waley and Andrew Simmonds, who both saw an opportunity to reinvent the “underwhelming” body wash category.
“So much innovation was happening in skin care and hair care. But body care was largely untapped. We thought there had to be something better and more fun to use,” Waley told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.
The development process, which started in 2019, was underpinned by the goal to “reignite joy” in the daily shower ritual.
“The user experience was at the forefront. We just wanted to create something that was enjoyable and fun to use. We wanted to bring joy and fun back to shower time. We knew that the end result had to be something that you look forward to using every day,” said Waley.
During the early stages, Waley recounted being disappointed by the format options that were presented before the team hit a breakthrough.
“We were told it could either be a bar, gel or foam. At first, it sounded so boring, but we sat on it and realised we could make a really thick and creamy foam, deliver it in a can, and make it look like whipped cream when dispensed. Who wouldn’t want to shower themselves with that?”
Unprecedented uptake
The product was officially launched in 2021 with Woolsworth and Priceline, two major retail chains in Australia.
“We launched in 1,200 doors straightaway, even before we turned the website on,” said Waley.
Not long after, Sundae Body was available in Coles, another major supermarket chain, and developed a 13-SKU children’s line exclusively for the retailer.
Today, it is in over 2,000 doors across Australia and leaving beauty consumers frothing over its novel innovative whipped shower foam.
Waley believes the enthusiastic response it received from its retail partners confirmed the that the bath and body care category was sorely under tapped.
Its consumer base is quite diverse, ranging from young Gen Zs who appreciate the product’s TikTok-friendly proposition, to mothers that use it as a “dangling carrot” to get their children into the bath.
“To be honest, the path to purchase with our product is longer when entering a new market. The price point is a little bit higher than what you would normally pay as well. But once people try it, well, we’ve never had anyone complain about the price after.”
Waley is acutely aware that the brand can only cash in on the novelty factor on a finite amount of time.
“From day one I knew as a marketer that we’re not only promoting a product but the brand. We worked really hard at communicating our purpose and building a strong brand. If the novelty of the product does wear off, they will still have a connection to our brand, our purpose, our values.
“That, I believe, will help us have longevity. Because it’s not enough to have a great product nowadays, it needs to align with consumers’ values. This puts a lot of pressure on brands because its not just about creating a cool product anymore, the branding needs to be at the forefront as well.”
Waley added that the brand’s newest product launch, Body Whip Moisturisers, benefitted from this focus on brand equity.
“When we dropped that line, it was really well received. Not just because it was a cool product, but because its so closely linked and cohesive to the brand.”
Market expansion
In addition to Australia, Sundae Body has expanded regionally to New Zealand with Superette and Farmers.
It is also available in the UK with Sainsbur’s, ASOS, Cult Beauty, Urban Outfitters, and Beauty Things.
Moving forward, the company expects to expand into Ireland as well as the US, where it will be working with another major retailer, Waley hinted.