Reckitt Benckiser has appointed Dec PR to handle public relations for the company in the Australian market after RB was handed the largest fine in Australian consumer law history for a Nurofen campaign, according to a report published by Mumbrella.

Reckitt Benckiser was handed a record AU$6 million fine by the courts on the recommendation of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for claiming that its range of Nurofen Specific Pain products could target pain in different areas of the body, despite containing the same active ingredients.

“Nurofen did not intend to mislead consumers and we apologise to those of our consumers who were misled. We recognise that we could have done more to assist our consumers in navigating the Nurofen Specific Pain range. That is, to show that each of the products in the range is equally effective for the other pains indicated on the Nurofen Specific Pain Range packaging,” said the company in a statement.

Incumbent PR agency Powell Tate will continue to work with Reckitt Benckiser Australia on issues management.