Leo Burnett wins creative mandate for GSK's Iodex

Leo Burnett has won the creative duties of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), the consumer products division of GlaxoSmithKline India's pain-relief brand Iodex. The agency won the business through a multi-agency pitch that was held in the capital over the last one month, and included agencies such as Grey, TBWA/Anthem, Taproot, Publicis India, Ogilvy, and JWT.

The size of the account is said to be around Rs 10-15 crore.

JWT is the incumbent agency on the business. JWT has handled Iodex for decades, and this is one of the longest associations that a brand has had with an agency. In between, the business had moved to Bates (then Bates Enterprise) for a few years, which JWT got back in 2006.

In 2010, JWT (Delhi) had conceptualised a television campaign for the launch of Iodex's new offering Headfast. The TV commercial was crafted with the aim to re-position Iodex as an ointment that works 'above the neck', as well.

The media duties for the brand are handled by the GroupM agency Mindshare. In 2003, GSKCH, as part of an overall consolidation process, appointed Mindshare as its media agency of record (AoR) for brands including Horlicks (Junior Horlicks, Mother's Special and Horlicks biscuits), Boost, Viva, Maltova, Eno, Crocin, Aquafresh (toothpaste and toothbrush), and Iodex. The company had called for a multi-agency pitch in November 2002.

For the record, GSK was launched in India in 1919. The company later launched Iodex Power ointment in 1998, and re-launched the brand in April 2004.

In 2002, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals handed over the promotion, marketing and distribution of Iodex to its sister firm SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare.