Clorox names FCB and Mcgarrybowen/Dentsu Aegis Network as global creative AORs

The agencies will officially start work for the company in July.

Eric Reynolds, Clorox’s chief marketing officer, noted that it is a time of tremendous change and enormous digital opportunity for the company and the wider market.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with FCB and mcgarrybowen/Dentsu Aegis Network as our two agencies of record,” he said in a statement issued. “Both agencies have a rich history of building brands that consumers love, developing big ideas and campaigns with coherence across today’s complex communications channels.”

The selection concludes a global creative review process that kicked off in December last year and marked the company’s first major review since 1996. Omnicom's DDB, San Francisco, previously led the roster, which included Critical Mass, WPP's AKQA on digital and Baldwin& on Burt's Bees.

The ouster of DDB from the account marks the end of an almost 20-year partnership.

FCB’s San Francisco and Chicago offices will work on the global marketing campaigns of Clorox-branded cleaning and laundry products, as well as other home care brands, including Pine-Sol cleaners, Poett home-care products and Liquid Plumr clog removers. The assignment also includes Glad trash and food protection products globally.

Mcgarrybowen/Dentsu Aegis will handle the Burt’s Bees business as well as the Hidden Valley, KC Masterpiece, Brita, Kingsford and Fresh Step & Scoop Away brands.

In response to further queries from Campaign Asia-Pacific about the Asia portion of the account, FCB said that the offices that will work on it have not been finalised, pending further discussions with Clorox.

However portfolio products under FCB’s remit are currently present in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and China.

[Update: 29 April] Mcgarrybowen/Dentsu Aegis Network told Campaign Asia-Pacific that its Hong Kong office was involved with the pitch but like FCB, is awaiting further discussions with the client in terms of the division of duties for Asia.

At the start of the review process, Clorox stated that the move wasn't prompted by performance but by its current strategic focus is on accelerating profitable growth by transforming its brand marketing through digital technology.

It stated that this digital transformation is critical to powering its brands to drive category expansion, market share leadership and profitable sales growth.

Reynolds said Clorox marketing’s mission is to be the growth engine for the business.

“Our new agency partners will play an important role in the company’s continued transformation into a brand-building powerhouse in a digital world,” he added.

The company recorded US$5.7 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2015 with an operating profit of US$1 billion.

Clorox spent US$523 million on advertising worldwide in 2014 and according to Kantar Media, spent US$269 million on measured media for its main brand in 2015. The company has also been aggressive in the digital space, with programmatic advertising accounting for 50 percent of its digital ad budget.

It’s Q2 2016 earnings call saw the company’s revenues fall flat at US$1.3 billion in fiscal 2Q16, as the benefits of pricing and volume growth were offset by unfavourable foreign exchange and increased trade spending.