Following a competitive RFP process that began last fall, snack food and candy giant Mars Inc. has appointed Publicis to lead its media, production, paid social and influencer and connected commerce capabilities. 

The company spent an estimated $1.76 billion on measured media in 2024 according to agency research firm COMvergence.  

The appointment is another blow to WPP, which was the primary media incumbent.  

IPG’s Weber Shandwick has been appointed to manage brand PR. The company said both agencies are tasked with “bringing culture and conversation even closer to the portfolio of iconic brands at Mars.” Those brands include M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, an array of pet food products and more. 

The firm noted that Omnicom and T&P will continue as its main creative agencies. Creative was not part of the review. 

“When it comes to building brands, we know that to remain iconic, we must remain in motion,” stated Gülen Bengi, lead CMO at Mars and chief growth officer at Mars Snacking. “That’s why we’re reimagining the Growth Playbook with a transformative vision for brand building - one that is bold by design and rewired for accelerated value creation.” 

“As always, consumers and pets are at the center of everything we do. And now, we’re putting our fans and communities in the driver’s seat through unprecedented co-creation of brand experiences, seamlessly connected across the consumer journey and personalized at scale.  Our new industry-leading agency ecosystem is the next piece in our plan to bring this vision to life. The Mars way.”   

The new agency team will work together through a new unit called “One Mars.”  

Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Groupe, said, “We are delighted to reinvent the consumer business playbook with Mars, rekindling our longstanding partnership as we embark on this significant growth transformation journey."

The new agency assignments are effective January 2026, spanning six continents and more than 70 markets worldwide. The pitch process was managed by Flock Associates. 

It was a tough loss for WPP, which lost the $400 million Paramount business last week and the $840 million Coca-Cola Co. North America business in March. Both of those accounts were won by Publicis.  

The Mars shift followed the announcement earlier this week that WPP CEO Mark Read will be stepping down at the end of the year.