Wella to enter designer haircare market

Wella, the German haircare giant, has signed a multi-million pound deal with designer brand Nicky Clarke to market and distribute the brand globally for the first time.

Wella does not have a presence in the UK designer haircare market and hopes to attack the market through the deal. It has already negotiated similar deals with brands including Gucci, Anna Sui and Alfred Dunhill, through its fragrance business, Cosmopolitan Cosmetics.

Robert Bartlett, executive director for Wella’s consumer products division, says: “A new designer dimension for Wella will strengthen our market position, while our distribution experience and marketing infrastructure will offer opportunities for growth of Nicky Clarke products.”

According to Bartlett, Wella plans to integrate the Nicky Clarke brand, which was launched in 1993, into its creative network.

Wella is seeking a global agency for its creative account, after its decision to part company with the German agency Jung von Matt, which handled the business for two and a half years. The company uses Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO in the UK.