P&G to roll out ‘fatter’ Bounty

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is to launch a premium sub-brand under its Bounty kitchen towel brand to be called Fat Rolls.

Already available in the US, Bounty Fat Rolls will bump the sheet count by 50 per cent. The range is be launched in January in a variety of styled sheets, including designer- and cartoon-themed alternatives.

The company will support the launch with a television and print advertising campaign worth more than £1.5m. Advertising for the brand is handled by roster agency Publicis, while MediaCom, Starcom Media-Vest and Zenith Optimedia share P&G’s media duties.

Bounty is the UK’s leading kitchen towel brand, with a market share of close to 20 per cent. A P&G spokeswoman says the name Fat Rolls was chosen because it is an “easy to understand descriptor that brings a smile to consumers’ faces”.

Industry sources say the launch will bring Bounty in line with the sheet count of most other kitchen towel brands. One insider adds the Fat Rolls will carry a higher retail price. “This is a move by P&G to match the sheet count on rival brands without admitting that the core brand is lacking in size.”