Allergan’s $50M Botox Ad Campaign Has Couple of Wrinkles
Pancake House Flips Ad Firm; Newport Film Festival Tapped Local Ad Shops
Marketing & Media
by Jennifer Bellantonio
The who’s-who of Orange County’s well-heeled women have another reason to buy vanity magazines.
Irvine-based Allergan Inc. is about to launch a $50 million advertising campaign,consumer-targeted magazine ads and physician-targeted training ads,promoting Botox Cosmetic, a recently approved drug that temporarily reduces frown lines and facial wrinkles.
Botox already has FDA approval for the treatment of some neurological disorders.
How does Botox Cosmetic work? Let’s take brow furrow lines, which are caused by an excessive contracting of two major muscles in the forehead, according to Allergan. Botox Cosmetic reportedly relaxes these muscles by blocking nerve impulses that trigger wrinkle-causing muscle contractions, creating a smoothed and improved appearance between the brow.
The company claims the drug, administrated with a few small injections of purified protein, can show results as early as 24 to 48 hours and last up to four months.
Allergan is going to target physicians and consumers in its marketing campaign that will launch in about three weeks.
The ad campaign has two components. One targets physicians and deals with training, while the consumer part will include television and print ads, mainly in consumer magazines.
IHOP Flips Heil-Brice
Heil-Brice Retail Advertising in Newport Beach has split with the Glendale-based International House of Pancakes following a falling out with IHOP’s new management. The ad shop had held the $30 million creative account since January 2000.
Heil-Brice Chief Executive Joni Brice said that “since the arrival of new management, we have been unable to come to terms.”
But Brice reiterated that the agency’s work had been well received.
“We are confident that we have moved the brand forward,” she said. Television and radio commercials produced by the ad shop will run through the third quarter and possibly into the fourth, Brice said.
IHOP spokesman Patrick Lenow said the split was a “strategic move based on how we want to build our brand.”
The company is working with Atlanta-based search consultant Gregg Nettleton to conduct an invitation-only review.
Lenow said the International House of Pancakes has contacted a limited number of undisclosed agencies “that have a strong fit with our brand.” He would not comment on whether any of the firms are from OC.
“We want to make sure that we deliver on the heritage of our brand and the warm feelings that people have about IHOP,” he said.
Lenow reiterated that the creative move does not impact the company’s media buying, which is handled by several shops across the country.
In other news, Heil-Brice advertising announced that it won an $11 million chunk of business from Snyder’s Drug Stores and the Drug Emporium, U.S. units of Edmonton-based The Katz Group. The ad shop will be handling print and broadcast media planning and buying. No other details were disclosed.
Film Festival Fun
Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising and Newport Beach Q & A; Marketing teamed up to create some zany ads promoting the recently held 2002 Newport Beach Film Festival.
The ad campaign pokes fun at Hollywood’s mass marketing of children’s toys and has the tag line, “Great movies. Bad toys.”
One print ad, for instance, showed a blood-soaked vacuum cleaner called Mr. Thirsty from the gritty documentary “Crime Scene Cleaners.”
The ad shops also created two 30-second TV spots that aired on dozens of stations throughout Southern California and at Edwards Theatres in OC. The campaign also featured one bus shelter ad.
Bits and Pieces:
Santa Ana Heights-based p11creative just completed print collateral and a Web site for “Bringin’ it Home 2002,” a benefit rock concert featuring Pat Benatar, Sugar Ray and The Calling, which will be held on May 11 at The Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. Concert proceeds go to Orangewood Children’s Foundation Newport Beach-based Juxt Interactive was recently tapped by Kawasaki to manage its online brand, following a review of several undisclosed agencies Doner’s Newport Beach has added new blood to its executive team. The agency recently hired Ken Camastro, former associate creative director at Irvine-based Frankel Marketing Inc., to be its vice president, creative director,a newly created position. Camastro will help oversee collateral work for Doner’s biggest clients, PacifiCare Healthsystems Inc. and Mazda North American Operations. He started on April 1 Costa Mesa-based Roxburgh Agency Inc. was recently tapped to do marketing work for Centex Corp.’s Centex Homes unit Foote, Cone & Belding Southern California in Irvine recently launched a 30-second Public Service Announcement for the Boy Scouts of America, Orange County. The television spot is part of a pro-bono marketing campaign.
