Olay Vitamins Cross-Promotion With P&G Skin Care Line Planned

Pharmavite will support the mass market launch of Olay Vitamins with TV and print ads, in-store merchandising and cross-promotions with Olay skin care products, the Northridge, Calif.-based dietary supplement marketer said.

Olay Vitamins are slated to ship in early July and reach shelves in August. The products will be stocked in the vitamin aisle, according to the firm. Pharmavite presented the line at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace in San Diego June 7-10.

The marketer of the established Nature Made line of mass marketed supplements is broadly targeting Olay Vitamins toward women with the goal of bringing younger new users to the supplement category, the firm said. Pharmavite is marketing the brand under a licensing arrangement with Procter & Gamble, which was announced in April (¹ 'The Rose Sheet' April 21, 2002, In Brief).

A tagline promotes the supplements as "a complete solution for women, promoting beauty and wellness from the inside out." The firm noted Olay Vitamins is the first big supplement launch under a well-known brand that appeals specifically to women.

Olay Vitamins will consist of two product lines - Beauty Nutrients and Wellness Nutrients - "that make it easy for women to create a personalized supplement regimen to best meet their individual beauty and health needs," according to promotional materials.

The two lines are designed to complement the Olay skin care collection both in packaging and intended benefits, Pharmavite added. For example, the wellness line is housed in white bottles that look similar to Olay's skin care and moisturizing products, while the beauty line is packaged in black and gold bottles to mirror the Total Effects and Age-Defying sub-brands.

The vitamins are designed to be taken either alone or in combination, allowing women who are interested in addressing more than one aspect of their health via supplement use to take several products at a time.

The seven vitamins in the Beauty Nutrients line are designed to help "your skin be at its most beautiful at every age." Red flags on the boxes note benefits including "even tone" and "smooth texture."

The Even Complexion tablets contain vitamins A, C and D, folic acid, copper, selenium and pycnogenol "for even tone and soothing skin," while Collagen Support contains Ester C and alpha lipoic acid "support collagen for firmness and elasticity."

Other vitamins in the line claim to: "fight seven signs of aging," with a combination formula including a multivitamin, alpha lipoic acid, green tea and CoQ10. The "smooth skin" formula contains natural vitamin E.

A separate combination of CoQ10 and vitamin E is promoted as a "potent skin care antioxidant," and the combination of vitamin A (as retinol and beta carotene) with vitamin D is offered for "skin cell renewal." A dry skin nourishing formula contains evening primrose oil, vitamin E, lycopene and beta carotene.

In the wellness line, one multivitamin is formulated for the "special needs" of women 50 and older and the other is for women's "good health and well-being" and also contains CoQ10.

The other six products in the wellness line include a The Women's Health formula and a calcium-based supplement for bone health. Other products in the line target energy, hearth health and menopausal support, Pharmavite said.

The pills will be available in 30-, 60-, 90- or 120-count caplets, tablets or softgels. Two multi-packs, each combining four of the Olay Vitamin formulas, also are included in the line.

Both sets contain a multivitamin, as well as three other supplements to be taken each day. The box will feature a dispensing bin for easy access to the four pills, which will be stored together in a portable cellophane packet.

The beauty package "fights seven signs of aging" by combining alpha lipoic acid with green tea, CoQ10 and vitamin E supplements. The wellness package focuses on energy by providing Panax ginseng, CoQ10 and vitamin B12 supplements in addition to the multivitamin.

Each of the 30-day sets will retail for $14.99, while the individual products carry suggested retail prices ranging from $7.99 to $24.99, with an average of $9.99, Pharmavite said.