J&J’s regional director of marketing services Mario Montuori confirmed that a move in the US to relieve McCann of creative duties for Band-Aid, Stayfree, Reach, Modistat and K-Y would extend to Asia.
Montuori would not reveal J&J’s motives. However, he insisted that the news was unrelated to the company’s purchase of Pfizer consumer healthcare last year, or J&J’s global media review that is expected to wind up by the end of this month (Media, 4 May).
However, sources said the move was performance-related. The client added that McCann will continue to handle the Vision Care business, which includes the AcuVue contact lenses brand, in key markets such as Japan, and its contraceptives and baby care brands.
Montuori also denied that the review would include J&J’s other big-spending brands in Asia, which include Clean & Clear, Nicorette and Listerine. However a source close to J&J noted that the decision marked the start of an internal creative review that is likely to include all of the company’s key brands.
Sorab Mistry, the agency’s executive vice-president for Asia-Pacific, said the agency’s relationship with the client is “very strong” and there were no planned redundancies. “We will continue to work with J&J on accounts such as Vision Care, which is growing fast in Asia,” he said. “So there will be no staff cutbacks.”
There is no indication from J&J headquarters in New Jersey where the business will go once it leaves McCann following a transition period. Likely beneficiaries include BBDO, which handles Nicorette, JWT (Listerine), Lowe (baby care) and DDB (skin care).
