• Adweek, Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:30 AM

Young & Rubicam has forged a global strategic alliance with in-store marketing specialist Mars Advertising. The agencies share clients such as Pepperidge Farm and Campbell's.

The alliance will enable WPP Group's Y&R to offer retail marketing services to its clients and will give Mars, an independent agency, access to a broad array of potential clients. Initially, the focus will be on North America, but alliance is expected to eventually go global.

Working with Mars "in an current economic environment where all eyes are on the shopper, protects brands from competing solely on price, while offering greater values," says Y&R CEO Hamish McLennan. Mars, with about 300 staffers at 10 offices in North America, also has worked for GlaxoSmithKline and Hewlett-Packard and retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, Sam's Club, Safeway and Kroger.

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