AMV BBDO lands £3m Gillette oral care prize

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO is set for a billings boost of more than

£3 million after Gillette's decision to align its global oral care

business within the BBDO network.

The switch ends Lowe Lintas' tenure of the business in the UK while

extending BBDO's leading position on the roster of the Boston-based

consumer products manufacturer.

The oral care business includes Oral-B manual toothbrushes and

children's toothpaste, and Braun Oral-B power toothbrushes.

Gillette chiefs cited BBDO's extensive worldwide creative resources as

the reason for transferring the account out of the Interpublic-owned

Gotham agency in New York without a pitch.

The extra assignments complement BBDO's existing work for Gillette,

which includes the Right Guard anti-perspirant range, the Mach 3 shaving

system, Venus for Women razors and Duracell batteries.

McCann-Erickson will continue to handle the majority of Gillette's

business outside the US, while Lowe Lintas in New York retains

responsibility for its Braun brand shavers and razors.

Last year, Gillette committed a £53 million marketing spend to

support the global launch of three new Braun Oral-B electric

toothbrushes, part of a flurry of new product launches by the

company.

The Braun Oral-B range includes electric and rechargeable power

toothbrushes and plaque removers. The company currently spends £3.3 million on the promotion of Oral-B toothbrushes in the UK but this

is expected to increase as new products are launched.

Gillette insisted the decision was not related to the company's ongoing

review of its supplier relationships but declined to say whether or not

it would be asking BBDO to lower its fees in the light of the extra

business.

Allen Rosenshine, the BBDO Worldwide chief executive, said that although

the decision to award the business to the network was not linked to a

demand for a change in compensation, he expected that fee discussions

would take place now that BBDO was handling more of its business.

This article was first published on Campaign