Rexona Rivals and Cartology rewrite the FMCG playbook

Rexona Rivals and Cartology rewrite the FMCG playbook with Unified campaign delivering double-digit sales growth

A partnership between Cartology, Unilever and Woolworths has successfully bridged the gap between Unilever’s brand and trade plans, rewriting the FMCG Retail Media playbook to deliver both commercial outcomes and cultural relevance. 

In 2026, Unilever proudly launched Rexona RIVALS, a TV program to tackle Australia’s greatest debate - ‘which footy code is best?’. With a ground-breaking approach to integrated planning, Cartology and Woolworths were engaged at inception to confront the market’s greatest hurdle, Unified Planning. 

To execute with excellence, early intervention and cross-discipline expertise were essential. Partners were encouraged to think differently, be innovative, and design an activation that seamlessly integrates the brand’s story from the screen to shelf. Unified Planning was essential - evolving Retail Media from a bottom of the funnel trade tactic into a strategic brand building partner. By matching end-to-end brand storytelling with performance-driven Retail Media, the team designed a seamless brand experience from the digital sofa to the physical shelf.

The power of Unified Planning delivered unmatched impact and exceptional commercial results, heavily outperforming key sales, brand and media metrics. The activation exceeded its core sales target with +20% sales growth, and every participating category achieved double-digit growth. Deodorants recorded their biggest promotional week ever, while total Woolworths market share grew by +0.9 points. 

Cartology's General Manager, Commercial and Strategic Solutions, Everyday Needs, Robbie Lawson comments: "This campaign carves a new path for what can happen when strategic partnerships, customer insight, and Unified Planning come together. By working as a completely integrated team with Unilever, we aligned brand aspiration with retail execution from day one. This isn't media tacked onto a sales promotion, this is unified Retail Media that connects a high-energy cultural moment directly to the shelf, and we're thrilled to see it deliver unmatched commercial impact."

Unilever’s Shopper Marketing Lead, Elaine Wooley comments: "Our commitment to innovation goes beyond just the product; it's about shifting how we plan and collaborate across our brand and trade teams. Rexona RIVALS proved that when you commit to Unified Planning, you can completely enrich the traditional grocery environment and convert cultural relevance into instant commercial success. Testing this fast-paced, full-funnel format puts our product at the very center of the customer experience, and our record-breaking sales results prove that deep, unified collaboration truly resonates with today's digital consumer."