YSL Beauté poaches UK chief from Elizabeth Arden

Cosmetics and fragrances company Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Beauté has hired the trade marketing manager of Elizabeth Arden, Graeme Bralsford, as its top marketer in the UK.

Bralsford replaces Jenny Peng, who has left the company for personal reasons. He will report to UK managing director David Marsh.

YSL Beauté recently came under attack from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ordered the company to take down controversial posters featuring a naked, recumbent Sophie Dahl advertising its Opium fragrance.

YSL Beauté is understood to have moved its entire European media account out of OMD. The account is believed to be worth £3m in the UK alone. The decision is understood to have been made by the Paris office (MW last week).

In addition to Opium, YSL Beauté products include Oscar de la Renta Perfume, the YSL make-up range, Rive Gauche and YSL Live Jazz.

Elizabeth Arden, which was sold by Unilever to US-based FFI Fragrances in November last year (MW November 2), has yet to find a replacement for Bralsford.