Lynx preps £9m ‘Peace’ sub-brand unveil to kickstart sales
Unilever is pouring £9m into the marketing for its latest Lynx Peace variant to make it the focal point for the brand in 2014 in an attempt to breathe life into flagging sales.
The male grooming range goes on sale later this month and will be supported by TV, outdoor, digital, print, sampling, radio and in-store activity. The nationwide campaign will promote the product’s “woody fragrance” and target men looking for a more “sophisticated” and “edgy” offering.
Mark Aschmann, Lynx brand manager at Unilever, says the launch aims to reach a wider target audience.
The launch comes as the festive season kicks in and the business is banking on seasonal demand to give it momentum going into the New Year.
Aschmann: “Following on from the hugely successful launch of Lynx Apollo last year, Lynx Peace will be our main focus in 2014.”
It follows the launch of Lynx Apollo in 2012, which despite generating online buzz around its advertising campaign to send fans into space, has failed to lift sales of the overall brand. Lynx sales fell 3.9 per cent year-on-year in the UK to £167m for the 52 weeks to 13 September, according to IRI Worldwide.
During this time, the brand has ramped up its “always-on” digital strategy in an attempt to broaden its reach. It became one of the first advertisers in the UK to test Snapchat – a mobile app that allows users to send photo messages that self-destruct after a period of 10 seconds or less – this summer, claiming it wanted to deliver “compelling” content to fans.