Type Privately held Revenue ₤50,360,000 (2006) Website www.ghdhair.com Headquarters Leeds, United Kingdom Parent organization Coty, Inc. | Industry Hair styling Net income ₤9,600,000 (2006) Customer service 00 44 1924 423400 Founded 2001 | |
Founders Robert Powls, Gary Douglas, Martin Penny Profiles | ||
Good hair day
Good Hair Day, commonly known as ghd, is a manufacturer of hair care products based in Leeds, UK. ghd leads the market for hair straightening irons and is sold in over 50,000 salons worldwide. The company was the first hair tool sponsor of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and is endorsed by celebrities including Victoria Beckham, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston.
Contents
History
Martin Penny, Gary Douglas, and Robert Powls founded ghd in 2001. The three collaborated to buy the rights to a hair straightening iron from a South Korean inventor. The brand quickly took off organically, and the company did not even begin advertising until two years after its launch. By then, hair salons and word of mouth carried ghd to £12 million, against a forecast of between £3 million and £4 million.
In 2004, ghd entered the North American market, bringing its total worldwide sales generating £37 million in revenue. The Jemella Group, which owned the ghd brand, was bought by Lloyds Development Capital for £55 million in 2006. It was sold 11 months later to Montagu Private Equity for £160 million. Lion Capital, a British private equity firm, purchased ghd in 2013 for approximately £300 million.
By 2013, the company had sales of over £150 million, more than doubling since 2007, selling over two million styling irons through 50,000 salons worldwide.
In October 2016, Coty announced that it would be buying ghd for about £420 million from the private equity firm Lion Capital LLP. The sale was completed on 21 November 2016.
Products
2011 - ghd V Gold Series Styler was launched. Available in three sizes (mini, classic & max)
2012 - ghd Air Professional Hairdryer was launched.
In March 2013, ghd launched the "Eclipse" hair straightener, which uses six sensors in the plates to maintain a constant heat of 185 degrees celsius, a temperature ghd claims is the optimum temperature for styling results. The consistent temperature reduces the time to style hair, particularly coarse hair that may previously taken multiple run throughs. The Daily Mail called the Eclipse "The Rolls-Royce of irons".
2014 - ghd Aura Hairdryer and Curve was launched.
2015 - ghd Platinum Styler was launched.
Advertising and sponsorship
ghd launched its first advertising campaign in 2003, as the sponsor of the British reality TV show The Salon. The company has also featured prominently on Australia’s Next Top Model.
In 2009, ghd ran a popular series of advertisements titled ‘Twisted Fairytales', including depictions of characters such as Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella with the tagline "You can do anything with your hair".
Singer Katy Perry was named the face of ghd in 2011. In October 2011, ghd launched the "Scarlet Collection" with Perry as the face of the campaign, and photos shot by renowned photographer David LaChapelle.
ghd has partnered with Victoria's Secret for a multi-year sponsorship of its annual fashion show. The company is the first ever hair tool sponsor for a Victoria's Secret fashion show.
Endorsements
The brand has attracted endorsements from celebrities, with Victoria Beckham, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Aniston being prominent users of ghd products.
Charity
Since 2004, ghd has raised approximately £2.5 million for the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity. The company produces a limited edition pink hair iron every year, with £10 of the sale price being donated in support the charity. In 2010, ghd partnered with charity "Mom It Forward" and SafeHouse Denver, a women’s shelter that serves victims of domestic violence and their children, in an event at Sephora.