SPLASH IT ALL OVER

Biography of John Cardrick. Sales & Marketing Innovator responsible for the Fabergé Brut 33 phenomenon in the 1970's. Selecting Henry Cooper to front the TV advertising with 'Splash it all Over' was described as a stroke of genius and signing-up Barry Sheene for Fabergé Racing after his high speed crash in Dayton, when his chances of ever winning the World Motor Cycle Championship were written off by all the pundits, a bold decision. Barry went on to win the world title in 1976 and 1977. Brut 33 had been rejected as not suitable for the UK market when John joined the company. When he pitched his plan for the product to George Barrie, owner and founder of the Fabergé Fragrance Company, Cary Grant, brand ambassador and shareholder was not keen on the idea. However, after only 18 months trading, John's sales trebled the turnover of Fabergé UK, the value of Cary's shares soared and he took a friendly interest in John's activities.The catalyst for Fabergé Racing was Stuart Graham a racing driver competing in the British Saloon Car Championship in a 5.7 litre Chevrolet Camaro. John offered him sponsorship and the Brut 33 Camaro made its debut under the Fabergé Racing banner in September 1974. In October Stuart won the prestigious RAC Tourist Trophy and again in 1975, making him one of only five drivers to score back to back victories in a race which was first run in 1905. He joined the ranks of Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Denny Hulme. His car, resplendent in Brut 33 livery, is often on display in the Silverstone Museum. Like so many of the marketing tools John employed, Fabergé Racing was excellent value for money. He launched Brut 33 with a sales force of only five at a time when large sales forces and high sales costs were accepted to ensure the widest possible distribution. John shattered that myth with a year on year sales cost of under 3%. John's life story is all the more remarkable in that he left school at the age of 15 without any qualifications, yet achieved so much and made so many friends along the way. His long friendship with Henry Cooper, which extended way beyond his 12 years with Fabergé, saw him meet many of Henry's showbiz friends from The Grand Order of Water Rats. Henry was King Rat in 1980. When John left Fabergé in 1984 he was appointed managing director of Magnivision, a company selling the leading brand of over the counter reading glasses in America. The sale of such glasses through F W Woolworth had been common place in the UK, until the National Health Act of 1948 when the sale of reading glasses without prescription was banned. It took 4 years of innovative retail selling, rallying public opinion and lobbying both Houses of Parliament, but eventually, after 40 years of monopoly by opticians, John became the 'peoples champion' for reading glasses and the law was changed.