NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In a global consolidation, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. has handed more than $200 million in billings to Omnicom Group agencies, according to the marketer. DDB Worldwide joins sibling BBDO Worldwide as a lead creative shop for the chewing-gum and snack-food company.
Agency News
Wrigley Consolidates $200 Million in Billings at Omnicom
DDB, BBDO Will Lead Global Creative for Snack-Food Giant
Wrigley is known primarily as a gum company with such iconic brands as Juicy Fruit, Doublemint and Big Red.
The consolidation whittles the company's roster from multiple agencies down to two.
'Best-in-class partners'
"Our new structure will allow Wrigley to be more efficient, synergistic, nimble and faster to market globally with highly creative, integrated consumer campaigns," Wrigley's chief marketing officer, Martin Schlatter, said in a statement. "We have selected two best-in-class partners in BBDO and DDB that will help us accelerate our marketing efforts worldwide with creative that advance our brands with consumers and helps us achieve our ambitious growth goals."
Prior to the review, DDB handled creative work in Australia and New Zealand. It will now handle global creative work for Airwaves, Boomer, Hubba Bubba, Juicy Fruit, Solano and Sugus in most countries, as well as the LifeSavers franchise in the U.S.
BBDO will focus on the Eclipse, Extra, Orbit and Winterfresh brands in most countries, as well as Altoids and 5, a new sugar-free stick gum being launched this summer -- both in the U.S. The agency will also be responsible for expanding the company's reach into new markets such as China.
Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi and Interpublic Group of Cos.' DraftFCB were nonroster finalists in the creative review.
Grey, Burnett lose out
The shuffle comes after a review of credentials, chemistry and budgets. WPP Group's Grey and Publicis' Leo Burnett -- both roster shops -- did not make it to the final stages of the review. The result is the loss of Wrigley work in Asia and India for Grey, and Canada and markets in Asia for Burnett. WPP's MindShare retains media responsibilities, which were not part of the review.
Last October, Wrigley brought in its first nonfamily CEO, Bill Perez. Earlier this year, the company contracted Kraft Foods alum Mary Kay Haben for the position of group VP-managing director, North America.
One insider placed global billings for the gum and snack-food company at roughly $400 million.
