Lever Fabergé has developed a cross-category range of products under the Dove Supreme Silk brand following the successful launch of Supreme Silk shower gel last year.
The company is to put an £8m spend behind the range, which began arriving in store last week.
Supreme Silk, which contains silk, takes the moisturising brand equity of Dove and adds a message of everyday luxury for the skin, according to brand manager Jo Riley. The initial platform contains six products ­ cream oil body wash, silk moisturising cream (which replaces silk pot), softening silk bath, body moisturiser, gentle exfoliating body scrub and the shower gel.
Riley said other products had been tested, such as a silk version of its flagship bar and its new deodorant, but the brand does not translate into all areas.
"It is not relevant to all categories, after all why would consumers want silky armpits?" she said.
The range will give Dove the opportunity to cross sell, such as binding the body moisturiser to the shower gel. "We want to drive consumers to different areas, for example only one in five uses a body moisturiser at the moment," said Riley.
Supreme Silk will appear on posters, radio and press with some TV advertising as well as instore sampling. There is a major push behind Sunday's Mother's Day, particularly targeting men buying for children to give to their mums.
The move is part of a strategy to strengthen Dove's position in all its categories during 2003. According to Riley there will be activity in bars, deodorants, haircare, shower and skincare, with 15 products in total going into the market. These include the brand's first foray into handcare.
with the launch of protective care hand balm and rejuvenating care hand cream.
"We hope to rejuvenate this category by offering different day and night products, like skincare," said Riley.
She added that 16.5 million people bought at least one Dove product in 2002 and last year's launch of haircare increased the number of people buying the brand by five million.


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