Publicis seals Euro push for US vitamins

American Home Products (AHP) is understood to have handed its estimated 10m to 15m account for the pan-European launch of a new range of vitamins to Publicis.

The range of vitamin supplements includes the US market leader Centrum. The appointment follows a review which also included Grey and Young & Rubicam’s healthcare subsidiary, Sudler & Hennessey.

It is believed to be worth 3m in the UK where it will compete with Roche Consumer Health’s Sanatogen and other brands in a market that Datamonitor forecasts sales will be valued at 195m by 1998.

Publicis is believed to be completing the terms of the deal with the US company.

The decision on the appointment has been co-ordinated by the US and AHP’s European headquarters in Italy.

The three agencies pitched in the US in June. The vitamins account is part of a review which AHP is undertaking for several brands in different categories.

AHP’s UK arm, Whitehall Laboratories, gave its Anadin creative account to Publicis in May when it also centralised its media spend into CIA Medianetwork.