Ferrero U.S.A. is in the late stages of a creative review of its Tic Tac brand, with three shops awaiting a selection, according to sources.
The incumbent, Merkley + Partners in New York, is believed to be defending against two other agencies that could not be ascertained.
Tic Tac’s media spending approached $14 million in 2013, according to Kantar Media. All told, Ferrero, whose other brands include its namesake Ferrero Rocher chocolate and Nutella, spent about $55 million in media last year.
Media responsibilities are not in play and remain at PHD in New York. Both Merkley and PHD are units of Omnicom Group.
Merkley has worked on the Tic Tac since 2004 and in 2007 expanded its responsibilities to include digital efforts and new flavors.
Th agency did not return calls, and a marketing director at Ferrero's U.S. office in Somerset, N.J., could not be reached.
