Tim Brooks May 14, 2026
A Right Royal Lather with Imperial Leather
Imperial Leather is a British brand with a heritage spanning nearly 100 years. Its latest campaign marks a confident return to relevant culture, and a reminder of what heritage brands can do when they invest in themselves properly.
Fronting the campaign is Tom Read Wilson, who is surrounded by trumpeters, footmen and full ceremony followed by the campaign's central truth: luxury doesn't need the absurdity of royal life to feel special.
The campaign also marks the return of the iconic crown logo, a symbol that has long stood for trust, quality and deep connection with generations of consumers, alongside the introduction of the new Ultimate Moisture collection.
****One of the challenges of being a ‘classic’ brand, particularly one that has an iconic piece of advertising loitering in its back catalogue, is how to change without either appearing not to change at all or to be throwing babies out with bathwater to be more ‘now’!
The classic Imperial Leather ad – a wealthy family bathing at 30,000ft in their gold-plated private jet – is, even though there was a lot of tongue in cheek about it, lost in a different age. Whilst the core messages around affordable luxury, quality and sensorial experience are still relevant, the pompous family, damaging the planet through unnecessary flying – apparently just for bath time – alongside the implication that they are somehow aspirational simply does not translate – culturally or in terms of brand engagement. . A great, funny, effective ad, best left for an 80s TV documentary!
The brand has had a few relaunches over the years without ever achieving their historical levels of mental availability inducing power. This is a much stronger effort. Its self-awareness and mildly mocking tone are an effective call back to the original campaigns. The casting, setting and performance magnify this by mocking the OTT luxury of the past without quite throwing it away. Clever. It is a modern and fun demonstration that, in 2026, Imperial Leather can still give us a little bit of affordable luxury. The focus on product experience and benefits underpins the relevance and stops any risk of advertising self-indulgence.
The shadow of greatness is long, PZCussons and Imperial Leather is running hard to reach the sunshine whilst sticking to its long-held core benefits! Nice work.
