NEW PACKAGING FOR SWEETENER
By Adnews Staff
Toronto ad agency Calexis is masterminding a Canadian ad campaign to introduce the revamped Equal sugar substitute marketed by Benevia. Besides the traditional packets, Equal now comes in a shaker and trigger-operated dispenser. A national English and French television push will break in mid-May. Benevia hired Calexis after holding an agency review this spring. Benevia general manager Brian Prendergast says in a release, "Calexis was able to provide us with senior packaged goods people to work directly on our business. We found that unique in a smaller agency." Benevia is the new name for the NutraSweet Consumer Products division of U.S.-based Monsanto. The worldwide name change was made because the company will be expanding into products and services beyond sweeteners. This week Benevia announced that it will be broadening into "healthy lifestyle food and nutritional products." Currently it markets products containing the artificial sweetener Nutrasweet, under the brand name Equal in North America, Latin America and Asia, and Canderelle in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.