Shield is marking its 50th anniversary with renewed investment in the British-made soap brand, including new packaging and a major marketing campaign designed to introduce the bathroom staple to a new generation of consumers.
Launched in 1976, Shield was named by the trade press as the UK’s most successful new product of that year.
Half a century later, Shield has national distribution across Tesco, Sainsbury’s and ASDA, as well as online retailers, and remains manufactured in the UK.
The anniversary comes as owner Ceuta invests in strengthening Shield’s distribution, maintaining UK manufacturing and supporting marketing activity, with an ambition to build on the brand’s heritage while reaching both loyal and new consumers.
Keep Soap Straightforward
The new Keep Soap Straightforward campaign draws on the simplicity that has underpinned Shield for five decades, at a time when consumers are beginning to question increasingly complicated beauty and skincare routines.
Mintel’s 2026 UK Facial Skincare research points to consumers streamlining their routines and identifies “claim fatigue” around technical language as a challenge for beauty brands. At the same time women are finding their skincare routine has become more complicated than it was 10 to 20 years ago, with many now using multiple skincare products every day.
Aggi Wolska, brand manager at Shield, said: “Fifty years is a significant milestone for any brand, particularly in a category that has changed enormously since Shield first appeared on shelves in 1976.
“Shield has always had a straightforward proposition, and that simplicity still resonates. We have customers who have known the brand for decades, but there is also an opportunity to introduce it to a new generation looking for products that do what they say they will.
“We’re investing in Shield’s next chapter, from its new look and marketing campaign to maintaining its British manufacturing heritage and strengthening its presence with retailers.”
British manufacturing
UK manufacturing has remained an important part of Shield’s story. Following the closure and liquidation of its previous UK manufacturing facility, the business sought another domestic manufacturing partner rather than moving production overseas. Production was subsequently transferred to Glasgow, where Shield continues to be made today.
The decision comes as consumers continue to show an appetite for British-made products. YouGov research commissioned by Made in Britain in 2026 found 70% of UK consumers are more likely to buy products displaying the Made in Britain trademark, while 86% consider where non-food products are made at least some of the time when making purchasing decisions.
Shield’s 50th anniversary campaign will also take the brand directly to shoppers, with mobile OOH activity visiting major supermarket locations in Birmingham and Manchester alongside a route around Bluewater in the South East. The vans will run for eight hours each day and make multiple stops during the campaign.
The campaign forms part of Shield’s plans to build on 50 years in British bathrooms while reinforcing its position in the deodorising bar soap category.
