Unilever's Axe is promising "girl-approved hair" with a line of shampoos, conditioner and styling products it is launching for men this week, Ellen Byron reports. The introduction follows the June
debut of a men's hair-care line from Procter & Gamble's Gillette that's "engineered with charged cleansers" to help men "take charge of your hair," according to its TV campaign.
Axe's ads
show that with bad hair, even male models can't pick up girls. "We found that 85% of guys think their hair is pretty good, but more than half of women don't agree," says David Rubin, director of
Unilever hair care. Axe's new line "meets guys' needs and provides a service to women," he says.
Men's hair "is the last frontier for major marketers," says Burt Flickinger III, managing
director of the Strategic Resource Group consulting firm. It is the latest in the rapid assignment of sexes to personal-care products over the past decade or so, including deodorants, skin care, body
sprays and, most recently, shower gels, he says. But analysts say convincing men they need their own shampoo won't be easy.
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