MARKETERS

Geoff Craig is filling some big shoes as the new VP/GM home and personal care at Unilever. He replaces Steve Kouri, who is now VP customer development. Craig says he’s ‘looking forward to growing a great stable of brands,’ which includes the unstoppable Dove. It’s been ‘growing like gangbusters,’ and, he adds, is now number two in the beauty category second only to L’Oréal. Craig was previously a director of marketing on the foods side, with a portfolio that included Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Slim-Fast.

Speaking of the competition, L’Oréal has hired former Molson bigwig Denis Racette as director of marketing to head its Canadian division of perfumes, which includes Giorgio Armani’s Acqua Di Giò and Ralph Lauren’s Ralph Cool. Racette was previously director of marketing of Molson Dry and most recently responsible for launching

Cold Shots.

Daisy Chin-Lor has replaced Diane Oliver as SVP/CMO for Montreal-based jeweller Birks. Chin-Lor, who will split her time between offices in Montreal and Florida, says that the brand’s launch of a new cut of diamond in mid-October will be supported by magazine and TV, but also event marketing in an effort to treat all market segments uniquely.

She adds that the brand will continue its shift toward ‘contemporizing’ the diamond-purchase decision, from one

that a man makes for a woman to one that a woman embarks on herself. Prior to joining Birks, Chin-Lor was EVP/CMO at Elizabeth Arden Spas.

AGENCIES

‘Over the last eight months we’ve won four pieces of business,’ says Brett Channer from the Toronto office of Saatchi & Saatchi to explain the new hires at the agency. First up: Doug Bramah, who was on contract, is now full-time bearing a VP/group CD title. Steve Kyriakou, formerly of Grip, and Shelly Dwyer, formerly of Lowe Roche, have joined as copywriters. Dwyer temporarily replaces Austin Morrow, who has taken a leave of absence. And more hires are expected. Channer says they’re close to signing a copywriter to work with Bramah. The cause of all this activity? Bell Cheese, Buckley, Novartis and Leon’s are the agency’s four new clients.

Creative duo Jennifer Wilson and Rosalinda Graziano have moved from Zig to Bensimon*Byrne, both in Toronto. ‘They’re working on a variety of stuff,’ says CD David Rosenberg. ‘Their work is extremely smart, creatively and strategically.’ Also hired as ACDs are Joe Musicco, from Grip, and John Mcdougall, from MacLaren. The team, which worked on GM at MacLaren, will focus on Hyundai.