CM: Lintas and BBDO lose SB global business to O&M

CM: Lintas International and BBDO have lost all their SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare business to Ogilvy & Mather in a global realignment of the healthcare company’s 300m advertising account.

O&M has scooped the worldwide advertising for the former Sterling Health brands which were handled by CM: Lintas and BBDO, before it was bought by SB in September last year. Marketing Week predicted that CM:Lintas and BBDO would lose the business last year (MW October 28, 1994).

O&M and Grey, SB’s two original global roster agencies, will take worldwide responsibility for separate categories. O&M takes on painkillers and indigestion remedy brands and Grey toothpastes, mouthwashes, vitamins and cough and cold brands.

Grey will swap SB’s indigestion brand Setlers Tums for O&M’s Horlicks.

SB Consumer Healthcare’s managing director of strategic development Peter Glynn-Jones says that the new category structure will be rigorously followed. “If we develop a cough and cold version of Panadol, Grey will handle it,” he says.

It is understood the 300m will be divided as follows: Grey 150m, O&M 100m and other local agencies 50m.

Glynn-Jones says: “There will be a media review.” It is understood this will be decided at the end of the year. SB’s media account, worth 40m in the UK, is split between YMG Carat, which works on the Sterling Health accounts, and Mediacom, which has handled the centralised SB account since 1991.

Sterling is one of the most important clients for CM:Lintas. Finance director Gavin Cooper said the agency had not been told about the changes.