Philadelphia-based Red Tettemer + Partners was awarded lead North American creative responsibilities for Right Guard deodorants, Adweek has learned.
The brand, owned by packaged-goods conglomerate Henkel, chose RT+P for the work in mid-July. For the past two years, TBWA in Düsseldorf, Germany, has handled the account globally, and remains Right Guard's lead agency for markets outside North America. Henkel is headquartered in Germany. RT+P has led creative on Dial for Men, another Henkel brand, since March 2011.
"We determined that the North American business needed a U.S.-based agency," Ryan Gaspar, Right Guard's director of marketing, told Adweek via email. "Along with RT+P being the Dial for Men AOR, they were also a finalist in a pitch for a brand TV project over a year ago. We liked what we saw in them and felt now the time is right to partner with them."
Gaspar cited RT+P's "Aspirational Dirty" positioning for Dial for Men, and its "Camp Dirt" sweepstakes getaway as standout examples of the agency's previous work for Henkel. RT+P's first work will launch in Q1 2013, Gaspar said.
Right Guard spent $2.83 million across media in 2011, according to Kantar estimates, down from $3.52 million in 2010. As for next year, "You'll see a lot of more of Right Guard in 2013, across all marketing and media channels," Gaspar said. "We have some fantastic new product innovation that we are excited to share with our target consumers."
In June, RT+P also picked up lead creative duties for gym chain Planet Fitness and for auto body shop chain Maaco.