Alokananda Chakraborty
Advertising

Fairever moves from JWT to Orchard

The business is estimated at Rs 10 crore

Bringing two months of speculation to its logical end, Chennai-based CavinKare has moved the advertising account of its fairness cream brand Fairever to Orchard Advertising.

The account moves from JWT, which serviced the brand for barely nine months from the time it moved from Chennai-based Fountainhead late last year. According to an official statement from CavinKare, "JWT is unable to continue on the Fairever account due to internal issues at the agency. So Orchard Advertising now handles the Fairever account."

However, agencyfaqs! learns from agency sources that JWT was under pressure from HLL to relinquish the Fairever business as the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate operates in the same segment with its brand Fair & Lovely. CavinKare and the two agencies concerned refused to comment on the issue for obvious reasons.

The Fairever business is sure to give Orchard a lot to smile about. As a market observer puts it, "The fairness cream category in India is very active and all the players spend huge amounts of money to consolidate their presence in the media. While much of the advertising in this space has been very clichéd, there is great opportunity here to rise above the beaten track."

The potential cannot be underestimated. The size of the fairness cream market is around Rs 717 crore. Fairever, which was launched in February 1998 currently holds a volume market share of 8.91 per cent. The market leader is HLL's Fair & Lovely with 79.48 per cent share. Godrej Fair Glow stands third with a market share of 0.99 per cent. (All volume market share figures as of May 2003; ORG-Marg.)

For the record, the other brands in the CavinKare portfolio are Chik shampoo, Meera hair wash powder and shampoo, Raaga Cool oil, Indica hair dye, Nyle shampoo, cold cream and moisturising lotion, and Spinz deo, talc and perfumes. The company's agency partnership stands like this. While the entire Spinz portfolio is with rubecon, Nyle is under the custodianship of Euro RSCG. O&M handles the other four CavinKare brands (Chik, Meera, Raaga and Indica).

© 2003 agencyfaqs!

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