.vanish

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Status:	Proposed
Registry Provider:	Verisign
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	937 - Reckitt Benckiser N.V.

.vanish is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Reckitt Benckiser N.V.

Application Downloads

The following is excerpted from the applicant's response to question #18:

"The mission and purpose of the new restricted .vanish is to benefit internet users by ensuring convenience, increased trust, customer education and confidence through the elimination of user confusion and assurance of brand authenticity.

The .vanish gTLD will create a new generation gTLD serving the interests of end users by providing an authoritative Internet space where product information, services and resources will be closely controlled by Reckitt Benckiser NV (RB). The majority of the anticipated domain name registrations in the .vanish gTLD will be used in the promotion and communication of the VANISH brand, the world’s number one stain removal brand. A subset of domain names has the potential to be created and used for communication, online sales and marketing purposes, with internet users assured of brand authenticity.

VANISH is the global stain remover market leader in the Fabric treatment category, which is sold in more than 60 countries across the globe. VANISH started as a stain removing bar laundry product produced about 1983 by a small Scottish company called Projectina Co Ltd established by Robert G Macfarlane in Skelmorlie, Scotland. The brand was soon acquired by Ecolab in 1986 and became a Benckiser brand in 1987 when the latter acquired Ecolab’s consumer goods operations. Benckiser N.V. merged with Reckitt & Colman PLC in 1999 to form Reckitt Benckiser PLC. The VANISH name is now applied to a wide range of stain removing products across a broad range of textile materials, now including curtains and carpets. The RB Group of companies (RB Group) has several subsidiary entities worldwide, such as RB N.V. based in the Netherlands, the entity that holds the trademarks for the VANISH brand.

VANISH is the world’s number one stain removal brand and it is available in both in-wash and pre-treat formats. VANISH is produced in powder, gel, tabs, gel caps, spray and solid bar formats and is sold in over 60 countries worldwide. VANISH consistently delivers outstanding stain removal performance first time. Recent launches in the VANISH range include VANISH OXI ACTION INTELLIGENCE, with intelligent stain seekers that hunt out and remove tough greasy stains, and VANISH OXI ACTION with POWERLIFT which has oxygen bubbles that penetrate deeply into the stain and powerlifters that gently pull the stains out of the garment. VANISH consistently delivers outstanding stain removal performance. In the UK ‘VANISH Extra Hygiene Stain Remover’ (Laundry Stain Remover) received the Product of the Year Award 2011 and ‘VANISH Sensitive’ received the Product of the Year award 2012. The RB Group has also been ranked as one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World in 2011 by leading business magazine Forbes.

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Given the restricted nature of the .vanish gTLD, the projected number of registration is likely to be limited. It is anticipated that around 100 domain names will be registered in the first year. However, over the next few years, the number of registrations is likely to increase to about 500 domain names as RB implements new services and marketing campaigns.

As the new .vanish gTLD expands, RB may consider offering the use of second level domain names to its strategic partners with co-branding marketing agreements at a later date. In this endeavour, RB will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. RB will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to .vanish including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.

RB will utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level, initially including languages that use the Latin Script and Simplified Chinese. The use of IDNs will allow internet users to engage with .vanish in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity. As the .vanish gTLD evolves, it is anticipated that the use of IDNs, including additional languages, will increase within the .vanish domain space.VANISH is a well-recognised global brand with its trademark registered in 180 countries and territories for carpet cleaners and shampoos, laundry detergents, laundry additives and fabric and carpet stain removers."