P&G relaunches Ariel to reverse flagging sales

by Joanna Bowery, Marketing 01-Nov-05, 08:30

LONDON - Procter & Gamble has embarked on the biggest redesign of its flagship Ariel brand in 30 years, to boost stagnant sales in a flat detergent market.

In a full-scale design review, a new logo has been created and all packaging has been overhauled to encompass impactful imagery. The new look is being rolled out across the entire Ariel range from this week.

The revamp will also see the introduction of a new strapline "Pure Clean" in ads, replacing the long-running line "That's another load off your mind".

The brand's three laundry detergent variants have been renamed: Ariel Non-Bio becomes Ariel Sensitive, Ariel Colour will now be called Ariel Colour and Style, and Ariel's standard offering becomes Ariel Biological.

The revamp, developed by Landor, is being backed by a multimillion-pound ad campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi.

Ariel posted static sales of £150m-£155m in the year to June 2005, according to TNS Superpanel data collected for Marketing's Biggest Brands survey. Market leader Persil reported an 11% drop in sales to £180m-£185m.

Both brands lost out to Bold and Fairy, which recorded sales increases of 16% and 13% respectively in the same period.

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