Crest Sinks Teeth (And Money) Into New Marketing Campaign; It Eyes Mouthwash Market; In an industry dominated by Pfizer's Listerine brand, P&G unit makes bold move.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)

Publication: Investor's Business Daily

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Investor's Business Daily, Inc.

Byline: AMY REEVES

A battle is brewing between two titans of industry.

Their battlefield? Your mouth.

In April, Procter & Gamble's Crest division will launch its new mouthwash, Crest Pro-Health Rinse. Though the Crest name has become almost synonymous with toothpaste, this is the brand's first foray into mouthwash.

That's partly because no rival has really challenged the dominance of Pfizer's Listerine brand. Listerine has a 53% share of the U.S. market, and that share is growing. The nearest rival is P&G's Scope brand, which owns 12% of the market.

Still, P&G is betting a $100 million marketing campaign on the Crest brand.

"The Crest brand-name equity is a huge asset for us," said...

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