WILLIAM DOUGLAS McADAMS CONSUMER HEALTHCARE GROUP FORMED

WILLIAM DOUGLAS McADAMS CONSUMER HEALTHCARE GROUP FORMED to "develop McAdams' business in the consumer products area with a focus on consumer communications." The New York City-based media agency's newly-formed group consists of five people and has about $15 mil. to $20 mil. in billings, including the $10 mil. ad campaign for Schering-Plough's FemCare OTC vaginal yeast infection product, which began at the end of June ("The Pink Sheet" June 15, T&G-4). The Consumer Healthcare Group will be headed by former Saatchi & Saatchi VP-Management Supervisor Maureen Maldari, who has previously managed several of Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol accounts and Procter & Gamble assignments. Before Saatchi & Saatchi, Maldari worked on Rich-Vicks' Nyquil brand for D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. As McAdams VP-Group Supervisor, she will report to McAdams President Thomas Lom. The other key exec in the Consumer Healthcare Group is Senior VP- Creative Director-Consumer Products Sue Forman. The new McAdams group responds to the trend among pharmaceutical companies toward additional consumer advertising, spurred by growing interest among pharmaceutical manufacturers in direct-to-consumer marketing for prescription drugs and the consumer marketing requirements for the increasing number of Rx- to-OTC switches. The group is "an important step for the agency in having the kind of resource that can meet the variety of client needs in this vital and growing area," Lom commented. As well as handling consumer campaigns for OTC products such as FemCare, the Consumer Healthcare Group will act as a resource for prescription drug direct-to-consumer assignments. It will contribute to Pfizer's ongoing "Partners in Healthcare" program, which McAdams began more than 10 years ago, as well as handle consumer advertising for Slim Fast Foods. McAdams currently is assigned professional advertising for the diet foods brand. The Consumer Healthcare Group is the second new unit created by McAdams to address a particular communications area. In late 1991, the agency created its Helix Division, which focuses on biotechnology and advanced therapy products. Among McAdams' biotechnology clients are Amgen, for which McAdams handles Neupogen advertising. McAdams has annual billings in excess of $150 mil. McAdams major accounts and brand assignments include Hoffmann-La Roche (Valium, Versed, Roferon-A, Hivid, Accutane and other dermatologic drugs); Glaxo (Zantac); Schering (Vancenase, Vanceril, Diprolene, FemCare and professional advertising for Gyne-Lotrimin); Searle (Maxaquin); Connaught and its recently-approved Tripedia acellular pertussis vaccine (see story p. 6); Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals (Claforan and Trental); Synergen; Pfizer and Merck. McAdams assignments also include Mentane (velnacrine maleate), for which Hoechst-Roussel submitted an NDA in June for treatment of mild to moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.