At some point, many brands return to their roots to reinvigorate their perception in the marketplace. Molton Brown’s return to hair care this July, however, reunites the London-based beauty firm with what first brought it into beauty in the Seventies. It also attempts to re-create its existing luxurious image into an everyday hair care experience.
As told by Carla Tanz, Molton Brown’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, Molton Brown was founded as a London hair salon in 1973. The salon, located on South Molton Street, was a gift to a newlywed couple by the bride’s parents, the owners of fashion emporium Browns. The groom, a hairstylist, bucked the Seventies trend of punk looks and Farrah Fawcett wings and instead fashioned hair in keeping with his natural beliefs, practicing dry cuts and finger styling, according to Tanz.
As with many salon owners, the two ultimately began to mix their own products to meet styling and hair care needs. However, following the advice of customers and their creative director, Dale Daxon Bowers, the two did not pursue the endeavor any further since it was explained to them how difficult it is for hair care companies to break into other categories, such as skin and bath care, which they ultimately did.
The marriage ended in 1989, which led to the sale of the salon and also the company to a group of investors led by Michael Warshaw, which was developed into a multimillion-dollar luxury brand over the next decade. In 2005, Molton Brown was purchased by Japan’s Kao Prestige Ltd., a division of Kao Corp., for $298 million in 2005. There are currently 42 Molton Brown stores internationally, with five located in New York. Three stores are scheduled for the Far East, and one on the West Coast, in the next year.
The reintroduction into hair care makes Tanz, as well as chief executive officer Robert Thurlow, quite eager, since it allows them to re-create the brand’s essence into a hair care line.
“It’s more of a journey, a lifestyle positioning,” added Jeffrey Veiro, vice president, research and development for Molton Brown, who said the brand prides itself in its worldly ingredient list. Bowers, it should be noted, is still creative director of the brand.
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While Molton Brown did market two hair care products over the years — a shampoo and conditioner — the new line is a complete departure from what has ever been made by the company.
There are 14 items in total: Eight are shampoo and conditioners with items for stressed hair, environmentally challenged hair, dry hair and dull hair. Treatment items include a weekly hair mask and prewash oil, as well as a daily detangler; styling items include a hair texturizer, a gloss and a volumizing spray. Prices for styling and treatment products range from $20 to $30, and shampoo and conditioners are priced at $25.
Executives would not comment on sales projections, but industry sources expect the hair care line could generate $12 million in first-year sales. Thurlow is quick to point out that the hair care plan was well under way prior to the Kao acquisition, which also owns the Goldwell and KMS salon hair care brands, as well as John Frieda hair care.
While the company does not advertise, it will take part in a huge sampling effort. The hair care line will launch exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Molton Brown stores this year. Thereafter, it will enter its other retail partners, such as Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and independent beauty retailers. To drum up excitement, Molton Brown will partner with retailers on in-store visual campaigns.