Gillette Campaign to Incorporate Internet

The Gillette Co. said the Internet will be a component of its $300 million marketing program for the rollout of its new shaving system for men called MACH3.

Gillette said it spent more than $750 million in manufacturing capital and research and development to bring MACH3–a shaving system with three progressively aligned blades–to market.

Boston-based Gillette said it will spend approximately $200 million for advertising worldwide in marketing over the next year alone. The company’s advertising campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and Internet executions, and will break in conjunction with the product’s widespread North American retail availability in August 1998.

The campaign, which retains the theme “Gillette. The Best A Man Can Get,” will break with a 15-second “teaser” spot scheduled to air in early August, followed by 60-, 45- and 30-second product-focused television commercials. Radio will take a teaser approach as well, with a 30-second pre-launch radio spot followed by a 60-second spot introducing the product.

Outdoor advertising will appear in several markets and Gillette’s MACH3 Web site, www.MACH3.com, will allow consumers to learn more about the product in an interactive environment.

“Our Internet presence will support and reinforce the innovation and performance of MACH3,” said a company exec. Specifics on Web spending were not disclosed.