Ben & Jerry's has moved its lead creative account to Mekanism, New York, executives of the brand confirmed.
Ben & Jerry's Moves Account to Mekanism
The executives declined to comment on whether the Burlington, Vt.-based brand, owned by the Anglo-Dutch packaged-goods giant Unilever, held a review or who participated. But Eric Silver, CEO of incumbent Silver & Partners, New York, said in an e-mail: "We chose not to participate in a review. It's been an amazing ride with Ben and Jerry's. We are extremely proud of the body of work we created together and wish them continued success."
Ben & Jerry's spent $11.6 million last year on measured media, according to Kantar Media, and has had a good year at least in retail sales, though that comes in part after it and rival Haagen Dazs lowered prices significantly at Walmart under pressure from the giant retailer in early 2013.
Overall, Ben & Jerry's sales were up 9% to $504 million in ice cream, where it gained 0.6 share points for the 52 weeks ended May 18, according to IRI. The brand's sales were down 7% to $56 million in the smaller frozen-yogurt category, per IRI.