BENTONVILLE, Arkansas: Wal-Mart has awarded its $570 million (€440m; £290m) advertising account to Interpublic Group's The Martin Agency, for creative chores, and Publicis Groupe's MediaVest, which will handle media.
The announcement on Friday came five weeks after the world's number one retailer rocked the US ad industry by overturning the appointment in October of IPG's Draft FCB and Aegis Group's Carat USA [WARC News: 08-Dec-06].
Wal-Mart said it had pulled the plug after what were described as improprieties in the selection process involving Draft FCB and Wal-Mart's svp of marketing communications Julie Roehm, and Sean Womack, vp communications architecture, both of whom have since left the retailer. Both denied any wrongdoing.
Martin ceo John Adams Jr cautiously commented: "We have an unusual opportunity to work with some super talented people to do something really important for Wal-Mart."
Data sourced from Adweek (USA); additional content by WARC staff
