16m J&J work moves into BMP

BYLN: By Paul McCann

BMP DDB Needham has been appointed to handle Johnson & Johnson’s 16m-plus centralised media buying and planning business following a pitch against incumbents Initiative Media

and Pattison Horswell Durden.

That Initiative has lost its share of the business – the vast majority – is a blow to the agency’s aim of reducing its dependency on Unilever. The Johnson babycare, Carefree and KY Jelly business was its second largest account.

The pitches are understood to have been prompted by Johnson’s purchase of US skin and haircare company Neutrogena last August. Rather than shift the Neutrogena business directly from incumbent PHD to Initiative, Johnson decided to look at proposals for all of its media from its roster agencies.

“The Neutrogena people loved the work PHD had done. So Johnson decided to take a look at all its media on the back of these recommendations,” says one agency source.

BMP made it onto the roster because it handled the creative work for Clean and Clear and Johnson pH.5.

Last week, Initiative appointed WCRS vice chairman Phil Georgiardis as chief executive to replaces Adam Stanhope, who left the company five months ago. Georgiardis has been given a strong new-business remit to broaden the firm’s interests.

Earlier this month, Initiative absorbed the media department of sister agency CM:Lintas International also in an effort to boost its non-Unilever billings.