• by Larissa Faw , January 12, 2016

Bayer is starting the New Year with two new digital agencies. The healthcare conglomerate is naming Razorfish and iCrossing to oversee digital creative, and mobile responsibilities for its Consumer Health Care division. 

Publicis Groupe’s Razorfish will be responsible for Bayer's allergy, skincare, and nutritional/gastro brands, such as Coppertone, Aleve, Claritin, and Alka-Seltzer. 

iCrossing will oversee Bayer's cough/cold and foot care brands, including Dr. Scholl's.

Both agencies confirmed the account wins, but declined to discuss further strategies. 

Still, this carve-up of Bayer's business is designed to help the healthcare brand better connect with today's digital consumers. On January 1, Bayer reorganized its structure into three divisions: Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, and Crop Science. This regrouping follows Bayer's acquisition of Merck and its consumer brands about one year ago. 

Bayer is also looking to save money. The healthcare company spends about $500 million annually promoting its Consumer Health brands, but this move will enable the company to shift some spending from TV to integrated digital platforms.

The competitive review was managed by Avidan Strategies. OgilvyOne and VML also participated in the review, according to sources.