NEWS: CIA picks up global drug giant’s media for brand offensive

Novartis, the new pharmaceutical giant born out of the merger of Ciba

Geigy and Sandoz, has appointed CIA Medianetwork International to handle

a pounds 35 million corporate-identity campaign.

CIA scooped the media planning and buying for the global advertising

push after pitching against Optimedia and Eurospace, the media

affiliates of Publicis and TBWA, which also pitched for the creative

account.

Novartis, whose household brand names include Nicotinell and Savlon,

handed the creative account to the international communications company,

Ruder Finn, earlier this month, and this week confirmed CIA’s

appointment.

An autumn launch campaign will kick off once the merger - the largest in

corporate history - has obtained regulatory approval from the European

and US authorities.

UK adspend is expected to reach pounds 4 million.

Novartis is planning to position itself as a ‘life sciences’ business

with interests spanning nutrition, healthcare and chemicals.

Chris Ingram, the chairman of the CIA Group, said that the campaign

provided ‘another opportunity for CIA to demonstrate the capability of

its international network’.

This article was first published on Campaign