Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

•aching the women shoppers, the uardians of family health and rincipal purchasers ol products ke Sucrets. While initial emphasis in this direction, the new adversing series will reach the entire unily." Barker said that all the items in le Sucrets product line lend them hes particularly to visual demontration. He also pointed out that Revision s]>ots provide the flexiilii\ needed to give the retailer ftra sales support in his immedite area. Three new products. The four ucrets products being featured re: 1. Sucrets regular lozenges, a amiliar item to oldtimers, which as gained considerable trade and onsumer acceptance for sore throat are. These lozenges come in a tandy metal 24-pack with each ozenge individually wrapped. 2. A special new trial-size packige of Sucrets. This pocket pack ontains seven lozenges. 3. A new Sucrets Gargle. Deigned to kill sore throat germs and relieve sore throat pain, it will be >old as a gargle, not a mouthwash. 4. Sucrets Antibiotic Lozenges. These new lozenges sell in a onedozen package for 89 cents. They are being marketed to meet the need for a non-prescription antibiotic sore throat lozenge. Vital ingredient. The drug firm said its Sucrets and Gargle contain Hexylresorcinol, a recognized antiseptic and analgesic. The new proprietary line makes its appearance nationally after a successful km marketing campaign in a num ber of key Nielsen test areas dining the '(il-'()2 (old season. The ageiH \ said one ol the highspots of the new commercials is the dramatic use of a flame to carry through the "fiery pain" of a sore throat. The commercials also stress the value of Hexylresorcinol, one of the vital ingredients in both the lozenges and gargle. The Sucrets quartet is the first consumer product group to be promoted nationally by the new Quinton firm, formally established at Rahway, N. J., last summer, to handle marketing for all Merck's proprietary drug items. As part of the national promotion campaign, a number of special display units are available to the trade. A central theme running through all the display units is the reproduction of a typical scene from the television commercials. Special display units. The special display units, Quinton officials said, have been keyed to three major marketing factors: multiple-use efficiency by the retail trades; quick eye-appeal to the consumer; integrated brand name recognition for the entire Sucrets line. The new consumer product division of Merck & Co. feels confident that the four Sucrets items will click nationally. They base this on the successful test marketing behavior in the Midwest from January to March of this year. "Nielsen store audits have shown a better than 50% increase in sales through drug stores, resulting from the television advertising and merchandising support placed behind Sucrets in this test area," Barker remarked during an interview. Quinton executives said reaction of the trade to the new Sucrets line was good. Notably, the heavy impact of the pocket-size rolls far exceeded the company's expectations. Quinton officials said their plant was working several shifts in order to keep up with the demand. Agenc) officials explained that "tag-ins" will be employed on all the television commercials to promote the other new items and sizes in the line. Intends dominance. The Quinton Co. expects to be a dominant advertiser in this field. The product category, according to Kenneth Olshan, account executive at DCSR.S, is essentially one that is not of the greatest interest to consumers because it deals with an unpleasant subject. "Nobody likes to be sick," he observed. "So, we have tried to make the commercials interesting and at the same time insure a fair representation of the problem and the treatment we're offering. To date, our research indicates that we're doing just that." The television campaign will probably cost in the vicinity of $1,500,000, it was reported. "We are very pleased with our spot television program so far," Olshan told sponsor. "The client has given the agency's media department complete freedom in buying whatever is felt to be necessary to satisfy our predetermined marketing objectives. This means that the media department can be completely flexible when it comes to improving schedules or even rebuying a market.' ^ Saturation program with 60-second and 20-second spots Sucrets' television commercials, created by Doherty, Clifford, Steers 8: Shenfield. agency lor the account, stress factor that when fiery pain strikes and brings sore throat, it is Sucrets lozenges that relieve the pain and help to fight off infection SPONSOR/5 NOVEMBER 1962 33