Alberto-Culver is launching a set of haircare products under the VO5 Ultra name, one of which will be battling in the competitive shampoo-and-conditioner-in-one arena.

That category accounted for about 36% of the total shampoo sales of $206 million last year, according to Nielsen Marketing Research.

Last year, two-in-ones increased their market share by about 5% over the year before.

The product will be called VO5 Ultra Conditioning Shampoo, a name that intentionally avoids using the term two-in-one, despite the fact that is obviously the category into which it fits.

Apparently Alberto-Culver feels there is a consumer perception that two-in-ones are less effective as shampoos, because the conditioning element undermines the cleaning element.

Alberto-Culver will also be releasing a VO5 Ultra shampoo, and a separate conditioner in containers the same beige color as current VO5 products.

VO5 Ultra Conditioning Shampoo will be sold in new green bottles.

Alberto-Culver would not comment on the new line.

‘There will be a new line of products sometime in the future, but that’s all I can really say now,’ says Carolyn Carney, product manager for VO5.

Pert Plus, a product of Procter & Gamble, is the two-in-one industry leader.

Pantene Pro-Vitamin 2 in 1, and Head and Shoulders 2-in-1 are also p&g products.

Pert coined the two-in-one phrase, and was the first to launch the product, according to Jacqui d’Eon, group manager of external relations at p&g.

Pert has stopped using the two-in-one term on its label, but d’Eon says research shows consumers still use and are comfortable with the term.

She says Alberto-Culver is probably avoiding the term to set its product apart.

‘There are a lot of people out there who want to show some differentiation from other two-in-ones, perhaps this is their way of showing that differentiation,’ d’Eon says.

She says p&g research indicates the two-in-one segment will continue to grow.

‘You now have to have a product that will get in there and cover that segment,’ she says.