BBDO takes on £60m Gillette oral care role

Gillette has shifted its estimated $100m (&£60m) global oral care business into BBDO New York from Interpublic.

The move means Lowe Lintas, which services the UK business, loses the account to Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO. McCann-Erickson handled the rest of the business across Europe. The bulk of the creative business came from Interpublic’s New York-based agency Gotham.

BBDO Worldwide already handles Gillette’s Venus for Women razor account, and executed its $100m global TV and press launch ads. This year’s launch of Venus in the UK was supported by a &£15m TV and a press advertising campaign created by AMV.BBDO.

The consumer goods company is understood to be reviewing its &£440m global advertising account and is also planning to increase its ad spend this year (MW 14 June).

Last year, Gillette started the roll-out of three new Braun Oral-B electric toothbrushes in the market, backed by a &£53m global marketing spend as part of an unprecedented raft of new product launches (MW 30 November). The Braun Oral-B portfolio includes electric and rechargeable power toothbrushes and plaque removers.

In the UK, the company spends &£3.3m on promoting its Braun Oral-B products (AC NeilsenMeal). It is believed that this spend will be increased to coincide with the new launches.

It is rumoured that Gillette is planning to launch a male razor system called Mars.