GroupM handed prized Boots Piramal account

Hiren Pandit, general manager, MindShare, Mumbai, said: "We have had some business dealings with the company in the past, so in a way it's a consolidation of its media business with GroupM." The company markets a range of over-the-counter brands such as Strepsils (medicated throat lozenges) Ultra Clearasil (acne treatment cream), Icy (throat lozenges) and Sweetex (artificial sweeteners). In India, Boots Piramal is a 51:49 joint-venture between the UK-based Boots Healthcare International and Nicholas Piramal India, and is currently focused on developing its high-turnover brands. For instance, its Saridon brand is the largest in its portfolio, and is worth $6 million,followed by Strepsils at $3.5 million, Polycrol at $2.2 million,Clearasil at $1.5 million and Lacto Calamine at around $1 million. The company recently relaunched its 50-year-old brand Ultra Clearasil. The product was introduced in a soft squeeze lamitube in a combination of red and blue, and the launch was followed soon after with a new ad campaign created by McCann Erickson.