Ferrero Group is in a global creative review that may wrap soon

Ferrero Group, which owns brands such as Kinder, Nutella and Tic Tac, is in the final stages of a global creative review. “Ferrero started a competitive pitch process late last year to streamline its global agency portfolio and accelerate group digitalization,” a Ferrero Group spokesman confirmed in a statement to Ad Age. “During the pitch process, Ferrero will maintain relationships with incumbent agencies as per existing agreements.” The company declined further comment. The massive review could end as soon as next week, according to three people close to the situation. Several sources said the review is meant to cut costs and consolidate creative duties for the Luxembourg-based food marketer’s numerous brands, which are currently spread among many agencies. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Ferrero spent more than $1.4 billion on global advertising in 2023, according to COMvergence. Additional brands in its portfolio include 100 Grand, Baby Ruth, Blue Bunny, Butterfinger, Crunch, Ferrero Rocher, Halo Top, Keebler and Raisinets. It was not immediately clear whether Ferrara Candy Company, a Chicago-based company related to Ferrero, was involved, though multiple sources said Ferrara was not part of the review. Ferrara’s brands include sweets such as Laffy Taffy and Nerds, the latter of which made its Super Bowl debut earlier this year. Wide range of agencies Publicis Groupe, Interpublic Group of Cos.’ McCann Worldgroup and WPP’s Grey are believed to be in the hunt for the business. It could not be determined if those agencies—outside of Grey, which holds some of the marketer’s business outside the U.S.—are now on the Ferrero roster. Publicis, McCann and Grey declined to comment. Ferrero Group currently works with many agencies for its various brands, including some indie shops. Terri & Sandy, which has led Nutella’s U.S. creative business since 2019, wasn’t immediately available for comment. Stagwell, which had begun working with Ferrero Group ice cream brands Blue Bunny and Halo Top in 2022, also wasn’t available for comment. Havas is another agency that has done some business with Ferrero, although it’s unclear if it is part of the pitch. Havas couldn’t be immediately reached for comment. Omnicom is believed to not be part of the pitch, according to multiple sources. Omnicom declined to comment. Dentsu’s iProspect handles the bulk of Ferrero Group’s global media business, including the U.S. region, which it was awarded in March, according to a person familiar with the matter. In the U.S., Ferrero Group spent $378 million in U.S. measured media during 2023, according to Vivvix, which includes paid social data from Pathmatics, a significant increase from the $207 million it spent in 2022. Agency Review Tracker Stay up to date with the latest account reviews Click here

Ferrero Group is in a global creative review that may wrap soon

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