J&J picks marketing chief for £100m adult products

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the health and personal care giant, has moved Gabrielle Kilpatrick from its Australian operation to head marketing for the £100m European adult products business.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the health and personal care giant, has moved Gabrielle Kilpatrick from its Australian operation to head marketing for the £100m European adult products business.

She takes over from William Finn, who last year moved to become franchise director for the Neutrogena skincare range.

Kilpatrick, who has just taken up the job, was unavailable for comment as Marketing Week went to press and no one else at the company would comment. But it is understood she holds the title of franchise director of Adult and will oversee the Johnson Adult range of washing and bathing products. This was known as pH.5.5 until it was relaunched last year with a £15m international ad campaign created by Lowe. The rebranding is thought to be part of a strategy by J&J to boost its Adult products, which are dwarfed by the Johnson’s Baby range.

Last year’s campaign for the Adult brand had a £4m media spend in the UK and used the strapline: “Johnson’s… loves skin.” It featured a woman in the sea and a swimming pool, then bathing using a Johnson’s shower product.

J&J’s European advertising accounts are split between DDB’s Paris office, which handles Neutrogena and Roc, and Lowe, which handles the Adult and Baby brands.