Reckitt hires VaynerMedia to handle special projects for Durex brand

Reckitt has brought on VaynerMedia to handle special projects for its intimate wellness brand Durex in the U.S. and U.K., according to a company spokesman. The win follows a six-month review led by consultant R3. Other agencies involved in the pitch include Mother and Havas, the latter of which remains on the roster. In an earlier version of this story, it was reported that Vayner had won the global Durex business along with Reckitt’s KY and Queen V brands. But Reckitt, which did not return requests for comment initially, said today that the win was only for Durex and was specific to special projects rather than the full account. See all of Ad Age's 2021 Marketers of the Year here. The assignment, a company spokesman said, came as part of a "global pitch with a U.S. focus" that ended with Vayner winning "three specific initiatives" he declined to disclose. "Initially, we went into an exploratory phase with what to do with a new agency structure to begin with, and we focused on creative with R3," said the spokesman. "We put together an RFP document. It was never truly meant to be an AOR." Reckitt's intimate wellness portfolio includes the Queen V and KY brands, for which the company is still exploring finding other partners, Reckitt said. As for Vayner's Durex business, "the projects are U.S. and U.K. to begin with," said the spokesman. "They may expand out globally, but that's not confirmed yet. As most of our business is global, we're still going to be relying on our partner, Havas, and local agencies to make sure that all the regions are covered at all fronts." Frank and funny The work from Havas London for Durex of late has been frank and sometimes funny. During the pandemic, Durex encouraged consumers to change casual attitudes toward condom use and become more responsible with a campaign themed "Let's not go back to normal." In May, the shop broke a spot for Durex’s branded lube that tells “the uncomfortable truth” about sex, showing scenes of a woman masturbating while talking to her cat and couples having sex in a shower and a tent. The copy is refreshingly honest with lines such as "all women can get naturally drier," "sometimes sex can feel a bit ‘meh'" and "sex with condoms can feel a bit 'oof.'" In July, the shop put up an outdoor board in London that contained only a giant condom wrapper to celebrate “Freedom Day” when COVID restrictions ended in the U.K. The year prior, the agency did a spot that aimed to destigmatize the word moist with the theme, “Ladies, get comfortable with lube.” Media shifts In July of this year, Reckitt reported in its first-half results that the intimate wellness category “continued to grow strongly as a result of good execution and product innovation, with double-digit growth in most markets.” The company said there was improvement over the first half of 2020, which was hampered by “government guidelines that limited social activity, particularly in China” as well as “continued share gains in the polyurethane condoms launched in October 2020.” The company cited e-commerce as a product driver in both the U.K. and Germany. Reckitt has gone through several changes as of late. Earlier this year, Conran Design Group, a unit of Havas, handled Reckitt’s rebrand which included a new logo. Last year the consumer goods giant, which also owns brands like Lysol, Dettol, Veet, and Air Wick, tapped Omnicom Media Group's Hearts & Science and Publicis Media's Zenith to lead its U.S media. In October, VaynerMedia made several executive appointments which included the hiring of Kim Baskinger, who previously worked on the Reckitt account, as an executive creative director. See all of Ad Age's 2021 Marketers of the Year here. Contributing: Judann Pollack ~ ~ ~CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that VaynerMedia had won Reckitt's global intimate wellness business in its entirety.

Reckitt hires VaynerMedia to handle special projects for Durex brand

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