• Adweek, Friday, November 9, 2007 12:15 PM

Kao Brands, maker of Jergens lotions and other products, has consolidated its media account at Interpublic Group's Initiative. With spending of $150 million on domestic ads last year-and $100 million through the first eight months of this one-Kao has left previous shop Media Kitchen out in the cold. "The media assignment move is the culmination of a strategy shift for Kao," says Judy Beaudry, marketing services director. "Kao elected to put media buying and planning together in one shop to simplify work on our business."

Initiative had been the buying incumbent, and now takes over planning. Media Kitchen is a unit of MDC's Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, and KB+P is still lead creative agency. Melissa Gordon will run the account at Initiative, according to insiders, after arriving last month from MPG, where she oversaw GlaxoSmithKline planning assignment. In addition to Jergens, the Japanese company's brands include John Frieda, Curel and Ban.

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