In an event certified by Ripley's Believe It or Not, the men carried Thailand's heaviest catwalk of more than 2.7 tonnes.

Held at Parc Paragon in front of Siam Paragon shopping complex in Bangkok, the event promoted the company's new Rexona Men product.

"While men often engage in extreme activities that require a lot of energy and generate a lot of sweat, they can always be confident because Rexona Men offers real double protection and will never let them down," said Wannipa Bhakdibutra, Unilever's vice president for home and personal care.

The event lasted more than an hour and involved a number of extreme performances, including a stunt show, Greco-Roman wrestling and Sumo wrestling, that took place on the catwalk as it was being carried.

The deodorant market in Thailand was worth Bt2.4 billion last year, up 9 per cent from 2005. About 40 per cent of that was from men's deodorant. Roll-on deodorant led the market at 70 per cent, followed by spray. Men's roll-on deodorant enjoyed good growth of 14 per cent last year, with 7-per-cent growth for the female versions.

Wannipa said to support the launch of Rexona Men in the Thai market, almost 200,000 units of the roll-on deodorant would be distributed to target consumers as part of a sampling campaign.

Rexona enjoys a share of 16 per cent of the deodorant market.

"While our Axe brand targets young men who prefer a fragrance and social lifestyle, Rexona Men will serve men who are sporty and love adventure and outdoor activities," said Wannipa.

"In addition to fragrance, functional benefits are another key factor for men when selecting and buying deodorant."

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation