Today, almost every household in the UK buys products from this category, with usage reaching 99% of the UK population. Yet, as Monique Rossi, Deos Category Lead Unilever UKI & EU points out, there is still huge opportunity for growth.
“We firmly believe there is a major opportunity to drive further growth with bold innovation and inspiring marketing. This is why we continue to invest in state-of-the-art research and development, as well as unrivalled research and insight to truly understand what shoppers need, so we can delight them with innovations that help our brands and products continue to be leaders in the market.”
Premiumisation driving growth
Whether it’s high-performing technology like Sure Maximum Protection or premium fragrances, as with the Lynx Fine Fragrance collection, premiumisation is driving growth in the category.
As Monique explains, “Over the last four years, Unilever has reignited growth in the fast-evolving deodorant category through its multi-year innovation programme. By leveraging exclusive, patented technologies, we’ve developed a portfolio of products that meet evolving shopper needs. This is part of our successful long-term strategy to transform the deodorants category by offering more premium, high-performing products.” The results are striking: the deodorants category grew by £53 million in the UK last year, with Unilever contributing significantly to this growth.[a]
This year saw another milestone with the launch of Sure Whole Body Deodorants and Lynx Lower Body Spray, moving deodorant beyond the underarm to all-over odour protection. Monique calls it “the next stage of this deodorant revolution,” and early sales are promising.
Investing in fragrance
Innovation isn’t just about format. It’s also about fragrance.
“This year, Unilever announced an £80 million investment to build inhouse fragrance capabilities in the UK, including plans to build a new state-of-the-art fragrance facility in Port Sunlight,” says Monique.
She adds: “Fragrance is a key element within the personal care product mix, appealing to both the emotional and rational parts of our brains, and this is especially true in the personal care category.”
Innovation at the core
From exclusive Odour Adapt Technology™ in Sure and Lynx whole body deodorants to the expansion of Lynx Fine Fragrance - the number one health and beauty launch of 2024 [b]- Unilever’s focus remains squarely on consumer-led innovation.
“Fragrance has become an increasingly powerful lever for personal care brands,” Rossi says. “Lynx Fine Fragrance redefined what it meant to be a premium fragrance last year and affordable indulgence is now a key trend within personal care, with consumers looking to invest in products that feel premium without being out of reach.”
Bold execution in-store and beyond
Disruptive innovations demand standout execution. Unilever partnered with retailers to ensure whole body deodorants landed with impact.
“Such a major shakeup of the personal care aisle like whole body deodorants demanded a best-in-class approach to merchandising and shopper marketing,” says Monique. “We believe whole body deodorant is a major incremental growth opportunity and that our Sure and Lynx deodorant brands are perfectly positioned to drive trial and product love at scale.”
From ‘Lift & Smell’ interactive features in store for Lynx Fine Fragrance to giant deodorant packs outside Tesco, Unilever brought innovation to life with in-store theatre.
Breaking conventions in advertising
Unilever also shook up the category with its bold campaign for Sure Whole Body Deodorants.
“In March, we launched a multi-million-pound campaign to promote the launch of the innovative Sure Whole Body Deodorant range. The TV advert challenged the assumption that most body odour comes from people’s armpits, by listing all the different parts of the body that might also smell. Packed with humorous nicknames for various body parts - from ‘muffin’ to ‘bazoombas’ - the visually striking advert normalised the conversation around body odour.”