Unilever is focusing on “power” brands like Dove, Magnum and Hellman’s that bring in €1bn a year in sales each. Which means goodbye to 20 “slow growth” brands including Brut, Timotei, Impulse and Brylcream that together add up to €800m in annual sales.
The once-famous brands of Unilever’s Elida subsidiary have been bought out by US private equity company Yellow Wood Partners, which specialises in snapping up tired labels like Scholl and also owns a portfolio of plusOne vibrators.
Yellow Wood partner Tad Yanagi said: “Consumers around the world love these brands as they are an important part of their daily lives,” he said. “We believe the brands will flourish in the Yellow Wood operating model, where our teams will work to build and enhance growth and accessibility.”
But will Yellow Wood come up with classic (for which read sexist, old fashioned – and now funny) ads like these for Brut, Impulse and Timotei? The lines still linger in the memory, particularly Brut’s “Splash it all over” and “Men just can’t help acting on Impulse.”
