Unilever finally tip-toes into men's skin care.

INNOVATION is the name of the game, so the marketing gurus tell us. Think outside the box! Go for bold strokes! Do something new and different! Well, maybe for the likes of L'Oreal and P&G, but not for Unilever, it seems. Having successfully established the innovative Axe brand in the notoriously difficult world of young male consumers, you might be forgiven for thinking that Unilever would bring similar innovation to bear on Axe's older brothers. Having taken the high ground and got 'em young, why not capitalize on marketing success with some more innovative ideas from Axe's locker? But no, we're talking super-tanker maneuvers here and caution is the name of the game, it seems.

So, Unilever is testing a new six SKU line extension of male grooming products in the UK under the tried and tested Vaseline masterbrand, with the unsurprising name of Vaseline Men. Packaged in equally unsurprising blue livery, the range consists of three variants of shower products, body and face wash, including one with "micro beads to help scrub away from the daily elements;" two variants of body lotion and one variant of hand lotion, Pricing is unsurprising, too--relative to competition, that is, although our North American readers may not think so in absolute terms when they look at the dollar equivalent prices in the table below ... and remember, these are mass prices.

On the one hand, you have to admit that body lotion and hand lotion for men is a brave step, so why not give it the help of Vaseline's name and presentation. But on the other, does this really leverage all the marketing experience of the company that took the world by storm with Axe? Compared with L'Oreal's Men Expertise, with its ground breaking packaging, formulations and advertising, or P&G's Gillette Fusion, this cautious, toe-in-the-water approach from Unilever seems in danger of being too little, too late.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unilever Takes a Modest Approach to Pricing * Here's a comparison of prices for the new Vaseline Men's line with some more established brands.

Price

per Brand Type Size $Price 00mls Clay Ribbons Shower 295 6.98 2.37 Gillette Shower 250 4.98 1.99 Dove Shower 400 7.38 1.85 Clay Shower 400 7.08 1.77 Vaseline Men Shower 250 3.98 1.59 Axe Shower 250 3.64 1.46 Palmolive Men Shower 250 3.58 1.43 Johnsons Shower 400 5.18 1.30 Palmolive Shower 300 3.78 1.26 L'Oreal Men Vita lift 30 26.58 88.60

Expertise face care Nivea for Men DNAge 50 30.90 61.80

moisturizer Nivea for Men Cooling balm 100 9.98 9.98

aftershave L'Oreal Men Hydrating 100 9.98 9.98

Expertise balm Vaseline Men Body lotion 200 6.98 3.49 Vaseline Body lotion 200 4.84 2.42 Dove Body lotion 400 8.40 2.10 Neutrogena Hand lotion 50 6.70 13.40 Vaseline Men Hand lotion 75 5.98 7.97 Nivea Hand lotion 100 5.42 5.42 Dove Hand lotion 75 3.98 5.31 Vaseline Hand lotion 75 3.56 4.75 Source: Price check at Tesco ($2=1 British pound).