APL loses 15m Impulse account

Unilever subsidiary Elida Gibbs is pulling its 15m international Impulse body spray account out of Ammirati Puris Lintas.

It is understood the personal products company has taken the account to the Advertising Agency Review during the past month, saying APL did not understand the “emotional triggers” of women.

Losing the Impulse range is the second blow for APL this year. It lost the Lynx men’s body spray and shaving products brand – worth more than 3m – to Bartle Bogle Hegarty in June.

BBH, HHCL & Partners and a third, unknown, agency are believed to have been invited to pitch for the UK and European accounts.

The last campaign through APL was for the new range of vanilla-based Impulse fragrances. The 4.5m push launched in April this year.

Elida Gibbs overhauled the Impulse body spray range in April last year, rationalising 73 fragrances to nine. The company hoped to moved Impulse away from its “first fragrance” for teenage girls and make it more appealing to “active” young women.

Impulse dominates the body spray market, holding a 47 per cent share by volume.

APL still handles the Fabergé Brut, Kyomi and Sure ranges of Elida Gibbs. APL and Elida Gibbs deny there is any review.