Reporters Notebook

Supplier News

Santé active, the U.S. subsidiary of Laboratories Pierre Fabre, France, has announced it will begin distributing the French toothpaste brand Elgydium in the United States to major drug store chains and independent pharmacies.

Previously available in the United States on a limited basis, Elgydium sold only in select boutique pharmacies. The products hold a 45 percent share in France, according to the company.

The line includes whitening and anticavity toothpastes. Both products are packaged in classic apothecary-style aluminum tubes.

Along with the toothpastes, there are four models of toothbrushes that will be released in the U.S. market: the creation toothbrush, whitening toothbrush, supreme toothbrush and luminous toothbrush. Also in the line is the alcohol-free Elgydium mouthwash.

Procter & Gamble marketing veteran Ted Woehrle has joined Newell Rubber-maid in the newly created role of senior vice president of marketing and brand management.

Woehrle held several pivotal marketing and general management leadership positions in a 24-year career at P&G. Most recently, he was vice president of marketing for North America, where he led the communication planning, media buying and direct marketing efforts for P&G’s $32 billion portfolio of North American brands. In a previous assignment, Woehrle led the development and expansion of P&G’s word-of-mouth marketing group, Tremor.

At Newell Rubbermaid, Woehrle will partner with the company’s global business units to build consumer-inspired new product innovation and brand management capabilities across the organization.

To commemorate the sale of more than 2 million ToothTunes toothbrushes, Hasbro’s chief operating officer Brian Goldner presented will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas with a “multi-platinum” award at The International Licensing Show in New York.

The award recognizes the Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started” ToothTunes as the No. 1 selling toothbrush in the line. The toothbrush is from Tiger Electronics, a division of Hasbro.

Launched last fall, ToothTunes features patented Denta-Mandibular Sound Transmission technology that transmits songs and music vibrations from the bristles through the teeth to the inner ear. Users will hear two minutes of music, the length of brushing time recommended by dentists.

The toothbrushes use a microchip that provides music from such artists as Black Eyed Peas, Hilary Duff and KISS. ToothTunes are available at retailers nationwide and retail for $9.99.

The nail and hand treatment line Poshé has developed a nail kit featuring its Food and Drug Administration-registered antimicrobial basecoat, antimicrobial cuticle oil and super-fast drying topcoat.

“Most products on the market only protect from fungus, so Poshé created the FDA-registered antimicrobial products to combat fungus, mold, yeast and bacteria,” stated Lynn Beaurline, chief operating officer of Almell Products, maker of Poshé.

In addition to protecting against infections, the products are free of potentially harmful formaldehyde and toluene. Formaldehyde has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The Estee Lauder Cos., a manufacturer and marketer of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, has agreed to acquire the Ojon Corp., a privately held prestige hair care company based in Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ojon markets and sells products made with ingredients collected by the Tawira, an indigenous community living in the Central American rain forest. Ojon, incorporated in 2003, markets its naturally-derived shampoos, conditioners, styling products and treatments through QVC; specialty retailers, including Sephora, Ulta and Nordstrom; and approximately 300 high-end salons. The Ojon products also are available in limited distribution overseas.

Ojon has earmarked a portion of profits from the sale of Ojon products to help the Tawira preserve its traditional lifestyle and protect and sustain the rain forest.

Founder Denis Simioni will remain as president of Ojon. The Estee Lauder Cos. will appoint a general manager to the brand and plans to keep the company’s existing management team and headquarters in Canada and continue to operate Ojon as a stand-alone business. Ojon is expected to maintain its relationship with its current manufacturer, Originitalia.

Looking to inspire people to grow, cut and donate their hair to make real-hair wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments, Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank is participating in Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

The donation will be part of a year-long association between Swank and Pantene’s charitable campaign. She also will star in a Pantene Beautiful Lengths print public service announcement encouraging people to follow her example.

“I have lost multiple family members to cancer and witnessed their struggle firsthand. I’ve never heard of anything quite like Pantene Beautiful Lengths, and I’m proud to be asked to promote the goals of such a unique and heartfelt program,” Swank stated.

Since its launch in July 2006, the campaign has resulted in more than 17,000 ponytail donations overall—a Guinness World Record—and the distribution of 2,000 free, real-hair wigs.

Beauty shoppers who were eager to snap up the sought-after No7 Restore and Renew Serum by U.K. retailer Boots wasted no time in stopping by one CVS store in Manhattan that, on July 18, offered one bottle per customer beginning at 8 a.m.

More than half of the stock was sold within the first 30 minutes, and all 500 tubes were sold by noon.

The CVS store at 630 Lexington Ave. in Manhattan offered the serum for $21.99 per tube, with a limit of one bottle per customer.

Boots has seen such success with the skin-firming and complexion-brightening serum that it has been sold out for weeks.

The serum was expected to be available on Target.com and CVS.com by the end of July, and in Target and select CVS stores in August. Boots is offering a waiting list at www.boots.com, enabling shoppers to be the first to be notified when shipments arrive in-store and online.

The Starmaker skin care line, developed by Anson Williams, a star of the “Happy Days” TV show and a director/producer of numerous television shows, and JoAnna Connell, a makeup artist and Hollywood beauty product developer, will be sold at CVS beginning in August.

CVS will carry three proprietary lines to include micro-pearl resurfacing, Hollywood hands and pearl moisturizing anti-wrinkle mist.

The partners project that the combined total annual retail sales will average $10 million to $15 million.

Starmaker products are in use on several shows, including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives.”