Coast is a brand of deodorant soap and body wash. It was originally created by the Procter & Gamble company and launched in 1976. Its marketing catchphrase is "The Eye Opener!" Originally a bar soap, the company also began to produce body wash in 2003.
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Corporate ownership
In 2000 the Coast brand was sold to the Dial Corporation, an Arizona-based company which became a subsidiary of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Henkel Consumer Goods Inc) in 2004. In 2012 the Coast brand was purchased from Henkel by Brynwood Partners VI LP, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm, through its High Ridge Brands Co. subsidiary. High Ridge Brands owns a variety of personal care products including Zest, Alberto VO5, and Rave.
Marketing
The target market for Coast soap has always been men. In 2006 the company won a "Top 100 Rebrand award" for a packaging redesign that was credited with doubling sales of the body wash product and maintaining a market presence that had been declining for the bar soaps. To recognize the 35th anniversary of Coast soap, it was marketed in limited-edition "throwback" packaging from the late 1970s, and an online gallery featured several decades of advertisements for the product.
The company has sponsored a car in the Indianapolis 500 and the rest of the Indy Racing League schedule.
Products
Current products sold under the Coast name include Pacific Force bar soap and hair and body wash. Earlier products included Urban Fuel body wash and Arctic Boost bar soap.