• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, October 31, 2013

WPP’s Maxus has won L’Oréal’s media planning and buying account in the UK and Ireland, the agency confirmed Thursday. Estimated billings per the shop are close to $220 million. 

The assignment takes effect Jan. 1, 2014. The incumbent was Publicis Groupe’s ZenithOptimedia. The win gives Maxus seven L’Oreal markets including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The account comprises media duties across all L’Oreal brands in the UK and Ireland, including L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline, Garnier, Lancome, YSL, Vichy, L'Oreal Professionnel and Kerastase.

The pitch process was started in June and was managed by Gayle Noah, L’Oreal UK and Ireland’s Media Manager and media consultancy ID Comms.

Stated Noah: “We ran a comprehensive review, and the three final agencies, Maxus, PHD & ZenithOptimedia competed at an extremely high level. Maxus clearly demonstrated their passion for beauty, insightful consumer understanding and best-in-class integrated strategic planning capabilities. We believe that Maxus will help us step-change our thinking and become strong partners for business growth.”  

The assignment follows by less than two months the selection of Maxus to handle strategic media planning duties for the North American region for SoftSheen-Carson Laboratories, a unit of L’Oreal. The shop began work on that assignment Oct. 1.