A year after rolling out half-sized women’s deodorants containing the same amount of product as a standard can, Unilever is launching the format across its men’s range.

This week, 150ml and 250ml cans of Lynx, Sure Men, Dove Men +Care and Vaseline Men started rolling out in the ‘compressed’ format in a move that will be supported by a £15m push throughout 2014 including TV.

Launched last February for Unilever’s 150ml women’s deodorants - which became 75ml - the technology is also being extended to the company’s 250ml women’s lines. In total, the format will account for 42% of Unilever’s deodorant range.

The company said sales of its compressed products had reached £15.3m last year, with £5.5m incremental to the brand. The compressed technology uses half the propellant of a standard can, so as well as being smaller and more environmentally friendly, the product felt less cold when sprayed, it claimed.

Benefits to retailers included taking up less space on shelf and in storage. It had also helped to increase the average price of Unilever’s smaller format deodorants from £1.52 and £1.67, said deodorants marketing manager Jane Boret.

“Promotional activity on the compressed products has mainly been a third off - including two-for-3 and save a third - the whole industry wants to ensure it doesn’t keep on using half-off promotions,” she said.

Only Unilever currently offers compressed deodorants, having spent 10 years developing the technology and consequently investing in a new production line, but Boret said she would be shocked if other suppliers did not start to offer similar formats.

“We believe the entire deodorant category could become compressed in the future,” she added.

The new compact lines also offered other benefits, said Unilever: Lynx now boasted longer-lasting fragrances Sure Men featured a new ‘motionsense microspray’ designed to protect more when the wearer moves Dove Men +Care had a new formula with Vitamin E and Vaseline offered 48-hour protection.

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