P&G to launch ‘upmarket’ Fairy liquid capsules next year

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is to launch a liquid capsule detergent line under its Fairy range in January in what the company claims is a “natural extension” to the upmarket brand.

Industry insiders say that Fairy liquid capsules will be the first of a number of new product developments planned for the Fairy range. The launch will be backed by a multi-million pound advertising campaign created by Grey Worldwide, while media will be handled by Mediacom.

P&G already sells liquid capsules under its flagship Ariel brand, which were rushed on to the shelves in 2001 to beat Unilever’s Persil capsules launch. Even so, Persil now dominates sales in the capsules market.

Unilever has also launched liquid capsules under the more downmarket Surf brand at the end of 2001, which failed to meet expectations. The range has been now been withdrawn.

Industry experts say that P&G is targeting a more affluent customer with the Fairy launch. A P&G spokeswomen declined to comment.

An industry insider says: “The launch will target the more affluent consumer that Fairy attracts. It is a premium trade-up to take people from powders to capsules that wouldn’t work for a brand such as Daz.”

P&G is searching for a UK marketing director following the promotion of Mark Brickhill to marketing director for fabric care in western Europe (MW September 11).