Wieden Picks Up Noxzema

NEW YORK Alberto-Culver has selected the New York office of Wieden + Kennedy to handle creative duties on its Noxzema brand after a review, sources said.

Sources identified the other finalists as Omnicom Group's GSD&M Idea City in Austin, Texas, and Interpublic Group's The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va.

Wieden and the Melrose Park, Ill.-based client could not immediately be reached. But sources said that the client called the contenders about the decision today.

In October, Alberto-Culver paid Procter & Gamble $81 million for Noxzema's line of skincare products in the U.S, Canada and parts of Latin America, according to Alberto-Culver's annual report.

The company, whose other major brands include Alberto V05, St. Ives and Tresemme, is expected to increase media spending on Noxzema to as much as $40 million next year.

Noxzema's media spending has fallen in recent years as former owner Procter & Gamble moved to sell it. Major media spending totaled $18 million in 2006 and just $2 million last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. The total through the first nine months of 2008 was less than $100,000, per TNS.

Media duties were not in play and remain at Aegis Group's Carat. When Noxzema was part of P&G, Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett in Chicago handled creative duties.