Clairol agencies under threat after P&G deal
Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB and MediaVest’s hold on Bristol-Myers Squibb’s creative and media accounts could be in jeopardy after Procter & Gamble snapped up BMS’s Clairol brand for $4.95bn (&£3.5bn).
The Clairol business in the UK is understood to be worth &£11m. Banks Hoggins also handles BMS’s Aussie Haircare brands.
P&G uses Saatchi & Saatchi for its Head & Shoulders range, Grey Worldwide for Pantene and Leo Burnett for Vidal Sassoon. The company’s media roster agencies include MediaCom and Starcom Motive.
Bristol-Myers Squibb centralised its global media planning and buying into Starcom MediaVest Group last year. It is understood that MediaVest was appointed to handle the UK account to avoid any clashes with Starcom Motive’s P&G business.
Last month Bristol-Myers Squibb announced a large increase in the ad spend for its Clairol Herbal Essences brand in the UK this year, to &£8.9m from &£3.2m last year (MW April 26).
The announcement followed the appointment of Simon Worraker as the new marketing director for the UK and Ireland (MW April 26).
It is not clear how the marketing department of Clairol will be affected following its acquisition by P&G.
Clairol, which generates about $1.6bn (&£1.1bn) in worldwide sales, earns about 75 per cent of its sales in North America. In contrast, 75 per cent of P&G haircare products are sold outside North America, providing a strong network for expanding the Clairol brands.
