Impulse Rejuvenating an iconic British fragrance brand from “sickly sweet fragrance only for teens”
to
“smells so good, you won’t believe it’s Impulse”
Challenge
Impulse had built enormous equity by democratising fragrance for generations of UK women, but the brand was becoming commercially and culturally irrelevant.
Its core body spray business still represented the majority of revenue, yet the category was shifting. Body mists were driving growth and beginning to overtake traditional body sprays, while Impulse had not innovated fast enough to capture that momentum. Nor through format and not through scent profiles.
At the same time, the masterbrand had lost relevance with women who had grown up with it. The challenge was to re-engage lapsed shoppers by reconnecting with the emotional equity Impulse had originally built, but in a way that felt current to culture rather than nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake.
The portfolio also needed a more sophisticated fragrance proposition. Consumer perceptions had become associated with overly sweet, teenage scents, so the brand needed to elevate its fragrance credentials while retaining its accessibility.
Action
Rebuild commercial relevance
Accelerated innovation into body mists, launching two new collections across 12 products to participate in the fastest-growing part of the fragrance category.
Reconnect heritage with culture
Relaunched some of Impulse’s most-loved 90s fragrances, using existing brand sentiment as the starting point but reframing it through contemporary culture, nostalgia and a celebrity partnership to generate renewed relevance and buzz.
Elevate the fragrance proposition
Looked beyond the mass market to premium fragrance trends and niche luxury brands, translating emerging scent profiles, ingredients and fragrance codes into an accessible Impulse portfolio.
This included fine-fragrance-inspired launches, Gen-Z creator collaboration and the first mass-fragrance range to introduce mood-enhancing technology.
Results
The work reversed a long-standing double-digit decline, moving Impulse back towards growth and rebuilding commercial relevance.
The relaunch of O2 and Air with Frankie Bridge recruited 35% of new shoppers from outside the category, while the campaign generated 237 million impressions and 120+ pieces of UK press coverage.
We landed four innovations, including 12 new body mists across two major launches, doubling body-mist unit sales while securing incremental shelf space and additional retailer listings.
The programme also improved profitability and diversified the portfolio, reducing reliance on the declining body-spray core.
Most importantly, consumer perception shifted from “a sickly-sweet fragrance only for teens” to “smells so good, you wouldn’t believe it’s Impulse.”
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