• The Wall Street Journal, Thursday, March 13, 2008 11:15 AM

Revlon is counting on a flurry of new products and glamorous advertising to kick off a revival of its 76-year-old namesake brand, which suffered neglect as the company tried to balance too many initiatives. An ad blitz featuring Halle Berry introducing a line of makeup infused with minerals and Jessica Alba touting a new foundation that lets consumers' customize their shade marks Revlon's first major initiatives since the company's Vital Radiance cosmetics line aimed at older women flopped 18 months ago.

Focusing on Revlon's core brand "should have always been the centerpiece of our strategy," says David Kennedy, who took over as CEO after Revlon chairman Ronald Perelman ousted Jack Stahl.

The Vital Radiance line failed largely because of marketing missteps. For example, it didn't incorporate the well-known Revlon brand name, hired unrecognizable models as spokeswomen and cost more than consumers cared to spend. By contrast, the antiaging makeup lines by Procter & Gamble's Cover Girl and L'Oréal's namesake brand respectively feature celebrity spokeswomen Christie Brinkley and Diane Keaton.

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