UNILEVER left its rivals thinking “I’ll have what she’s having” yesterday — after a sales boost following its When Harry Met Sally Super Bowl promo.
Bosses spent millions getting stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate the 1989 rom-com’s fake climax scene for its Hellman’s mayo ad.
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The household goods giant ran the commercial, which featured a Sydney Sweeney cameo, and another promoting its Dove deodorant at the NFL showpiece.
And it has paid off since the February event, with Unilever yesterday posting a 3 per cent increase in sales to £12.6billion.
It came as new boss Fernando Fernandez tried to shrug off the threat of global trade war.
He highlighted the British firm’s local factories and said it expected “limited” direct impact.
But Unilever joined rivals including Nestlé in warning that prices could rise due to supply chain volatility.
Meanwhile, CEO Mr Fernandez, who joined two months ago, is facing a showdown next week after proxy advisers recommended that investors vote against his £1.5million salary.
He did not comment on his pay, but said firms have to “compete for global talent”.
He noted he had the support of the board — now including billionaire Nelson Peltz, who had jostled for change.
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TOPSHOP BACK
ASOS is to start tempting shoppers back to Topshop — by drip-feeding collections in the stores of rivals.
The online fashion retailer, which bought Topshop out of administration in 2021, now plans to relaunch the brand.
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It has already teased a social media campaign and will relaunch a Topshop.com website this year — but there are currently no plans to launch standalone stores.
Instead, insiders said it was more likely for clothes to appear on racks in retailers such as John Lewis or Next to test demand.
Asos CEO Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte said: “The time has come to become much more present with consumers in the UK and globally”.
It comes as Asos narrowed its losses to £241.5million from £270million.
Its sales have continued to tumble — by 13 per cent to £1.3billion.
In the UK, sales were down by 6 per cent.
RISE OF REVOLUT
PROFITS at fintech firm Revolut have surpassed £1billion as it gears up to launch a UK bank later this year.
The London-based company, which has already become Europe’s most valuable start-up, saw profits more than double in 2024 from £329million to £1.05billion.
It came on the back of a surge in demand for crypto trading, with the firm launching its own exchange — Revolut X.
Revolut has said that it will be launching a bank this year and will be able to offer credit cards and deposits.
PAIR GO TAX-FLEE
TWO billionaire brothers are the latest to quit Britain after tax hikes on the wealthy.
Ian and Richard Livingstone, who founded property firm London & Regional and have a combined fortune of £6.3billion, have switched to Monaco, according to Bloomberg. It comes after Labour brought in a number of tax system adjustments.
The Livingstones follow Nassef Sawiris — Aston Villa co-owner and Egypt’s richest man — plus steel tycoon Lakshi Mittal in quitting the UK as a result of the changes.
NISSAN NIGHTMARE
JAPANESE car giant Nissan has warned it will lose as much as £4billion this year — ten times more than it had previously guided.
It said it will slash even more jobs to cope with rising costs and the hit from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
TOOL YOB COSTS HIT ONE IN 4
TOOL theft is crippling Britain’s army of tradespeople — with one in four now falling victim to criminals.
Builders, sparkies, plumbers and engineers have lost out, not just from replacing their equipment but from being unable to work as a result.
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About one in seven say they have lost more than £1,000 a year owing to downtime and delays, a poll by DIY chain Wickes has found.
The company is now backing the Theft of Tools Trade Bill, which would toughen sentences for thieves and is getting a second Commons reading today.
Wickes CEO David Wood said: “The statistics speak for themselves: Tool theft is crippling the trades.”
Self-employed gas engineer Shoaib Awan, from Romford, East London, said of his loss: “It was a life-altering event.
“I lost £8,500 of equipment, which impacted my ability to work and support my loved ones.”
TRUMP’S COINING IT
DONALD Trump’s crypto meme coin has surged in value after he invited the top 220 investors to dinner with him.
The US President also said the top 25 holders of his $TRUMP, launched before his inauguration, would be invited to a private White House tour.
As a result, the coin rose 50 per cent to $14.60, its highest level since March, before falling slightly.
Critics have claimed that Trump’s family is profiting off his presidency.
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