Bangkok--Feb 19--Kao Commercial A source from Kao Commercial (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. revealed that the company has just launched "Lavenus" hair care series into the market when Kao Corporation decided to choose Thailand as the first country to launch "Lavenus", the best selling products from Japan. The first of "Lavenus" to be introduced were shampoo, conditioner treatment and spray treatment for normal, dry and damaged hair. All products are extracted from natural ingredients : L-AHA and Ceramide for effective hair treatment and nourishment. The products under "Lavenus" brand name are the latest innovations for effective hair care using natural ingredients L-AHA (Lavenus Alpha Hydroxy Acid), the element extracted from several kinds of fruits with smaller molecule size than other hair treatment products so it can absorb into innermost hair core Ceramide can repair outer surface damaged hair as well as restore the hair to be in good contition. Kao is fully confident in qualifications of "Lavenus" as it is researched and developed for Thai people since there is a research on Thai consumers demands beforehand. Kao has set "Lavenus" sales target in 1998 at 300 million baht for shampoo and 150 million baht for treatment conditioner with 10% market share for shampoo and 20% market share for conditioner by the year 2000. In addition, Kao has produced 30-second TV commercial for shampoo and 15-second TV commercial for spray treatment presented by "Cindy" Sirinya Winsiri, the former Miss Thailand World with a huge amout over 200 million bahts on TV advertising and Kao also prepare other media support and various promotion campaigns for this year. From the year 1997, overall shampoo market value amounted to 3,000 million baht dividing into shampoo 6,000 million baht and conditioner 2,000 million baht. Due to economic recession, it is expected that shampoo market value this year will be worth only at 6,100 million. End.