The trademark was originally positioned as a deodorant bar that included both standard soap and synthetic detergent ingredients. The synthetic detergent ingredient prevented the deposition of soap scum in the presence of hard water. Marbled in appearance, Zest originally came in two variants: Aqua and the yellow, lemon-scented Citrus. By the mid-1960s, the bar no longer had a marbled appearance. In 2011, Procter & Gamble sold the North American and Caribbean rights of Zest to Brynwood Partners VI LP, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm, through its subsidiary, High Ridge Brands Company. In 2015, Unilever acquired the rights to the Zest brand outside of North America and the Caribbean from Procter & Gamble.
Marketing
Early commercials stated that Zest is not a soap, because it does not leave the sticky film that soap does. A 1970-era commercial illustrated this concept with an apparent demonstration in which two photographs of a person were each dipped in one of two bowls, one labeled "soap" and the other "Zest" — the one that came out of the "soap" bowl had a scummy coating whereas the one that came out of the "Zest" bowl had no such coating. The brand experienced an uptick in sales in the 1980s and early 1990s, with the advertising slogan "you're not fully clean unless you're Zestfully clean!", coined by the BBDO sloganeer James Jordan. One commercial showed a teenage girl who used ordinary soap scratching her back against the metal pole of a school busstop sign at her bus stop because her soap left a sticky film that she couldn't see but she could sure feel. While she is still scratching her back, the bus shows up. Yet another commercial featured NFL fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward promoting the Zest bodywash product: a liquid in a plastic bottle. Television commercials would incorporate the slogan as part of the jingle and end with someone displaying a towel with the "Zestfully clean" slogan on the back; these towels have often been given away in company promotions. In 2007, in a seeming about-face of their 'no soap film' policy, Procter & Gamble discontinued the old product and relaunched Zest with a size reduced by 11%, a new bar shape, and new, more intense fragrance. The product line was extended with the introduction of Zest body wash. A recent perusal of their support site yielded the following claim: "Zest Linen Fresh, Tropical Fresh and Tangerine Mango Twist are no longer made with synthetic ingredients. They’re 100% soap and have a new “surf” shape." At one time, the range of products marketed as Zest comprised Aqua Pure, Energy Fresh, Linen Fresh, Ultimate Clean, Spring Burst, Tropical Fresh, and Whitewater Fresh; along with three liquid body washes, Spring Splash, Morning Garden, and Ocean Energy. The Zest site now features several variants: Aqua Pure, Aloe Splash, Ocean Energy, Mint Explosion, Tangerine Mango Twist, and Whitewater Fresh. Each variant was advertised as being available as both a bar and a bottled liquid labeled as "Bodywash." According to the ingredient list on a recently purchased bottle of Zest Ocean Energy Bodywash, the product is a synthetic detergent solution with other additives.
