It’s so emulsional! Paint firm vows to rebrand its range of pinks amid fears current names such as Dollface and Girly Girl are sexist
- Valspar will rename shades called Dollface, Sweet Angel, Girly Girl and Ladylike
- They will also scrap Shy Girl, Dolled Up, Faint of Heart and Dainty Delight
- The B&Q stockist are inviting customers to suggest more suitable names online
- The firm consulted Jane Sunderland, an honorary professor and gender expert
A major paint brand is pulling its pink pots from the shelves of a high street retailer – because it fears their names are ‘old-fashioned gender stereotypes’.
Valspar will rebrand the shades called Dollface, Sweet Angel, Girly Girl and Ladylike.
In a move that will delight the ‘woke’ generation, it will rename them in ‘empowering, gender-neutral terms’ including Woke Up Like This, Unstoppable, Fearless and Like a Boss.
Pictured: The paint lines being removed by Valspar. In a move that will delight the ‘woke’ generation, it will rename them in ‘empowering, gender-neutral terms’ including Woke Up Like This, Unstoppable, Fearless and Like a Boss
Valspar, whose paint is given great prominence in B&Q stores, is also scrapping pots called Shy Girl, Dolled Up, Faint of Heart and Dainty Delight and is inviting new name suggestions online.
A company spokesman said: ‘Valspar is holding its hands up and acknowledging some of its pink paint names are formed of old-fashioned gender stereotypes which no longer have a place in modern-day society.’
The firm consulted Jane Sunderland, an honorary professor and expert in gender matters at Lancaster University, as part of its rebranding.
Pictured: The shade ‘Girly Girl’ is being renamed to ‘Anything You Can Do’. Valspar, whose paint is given great prominence in B&Q stores, is also scrapping pots called Shy Girl, Dolled Up, Faint of Heart and Dainty Delight and is inviting new name suggestions online
Dr Sunderland said: ‘Traditional ideas such as “pink is for girls” often contain stereotypes about gender that restrict aspirations and opportunities.
‘These are out of place in the 21st century where gender equality is expected. The language we use matters.
‘The term dollface suggests an object and a possession, whereas girly girl implies someone who can’t really be taken seriously.’
The new names will appear on Valspar’s website in April and in stores from later this year.