• by Larissa Faw , June 30, 2015

Heineken confirmed today that it has extended its relationship with roster shop Publicis Worldwide and appointed the agency to be its lead global advertising partner for the Heineken brand, effective July 1st 2015.

The decision comes just weeks after the beer brand and its former lead ad shop, Wieden+Kennedy, abruptly parted ways after a five-year relationship. The decision to promote Publicis to lead agency came without a formal competitive pitch.

Heineken, which took home Marketer of the Year honors from Cannes last week, said it would continue with its existing approach of using local creative agencies to develop local platforms around the world.

Jan Derck van Karnebeek, chief commercial officer, Heineken, said: "We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Publicis. Over the last two years, the team has produced exceptional results for Heineken, especially the responsible consumption and Dream Island campaign. The team has consistently demonstrated a strong understanding of the strategic direction of the brand and we have been enormously impressed by their strong creative ideas and innovative approach.”

He added: "We enjoy a strong cultural fit with the Publicis team and are confident that this partnership will further build on the success we have enjoyed with recent Heineken campaigns."

Arthur Sadoun, CEO Publicis Worldwide, said: "Expanding our relationship with Heineken to a global level is an honor and testament to the strong projects and work we have been creating together. We're looking forward to driving the brand and its business forward as a team."

The split with W+K  came about three months after Heineken made a number of organizational changes including combining the CMO and chief sales officer roles into one position and naming van Karnebeek to it. CMO Alexis Nasard is set to leave the company shortly.

The company also regrouped around four regions, versus the previous five.

Heineken spends an estimated $60 million to $80 million on advertising annually in the U.S., according to Kantar Media. Global spending was not available.