$180 Mil. Mattel Account Moves to MediaVest

BOSTON Publicis Groupe’s MediaVest said it has added media planning chores on Mattel Brands following a review.

The shop’s Los Angeles office will handle the assignment. MediaVest had not previously been on the toy manufacturer’s roster.

WPP Group’s MindShare in Los Angeles and Mediaedge:cia in Irvine, Calif., had previously worked on planning. Those shops retain buying duties for kids and adult TV, respectively.

MindShare and Mediaedge:cia pitched Mattel together as GroupM; Interpublic Group’s Deutsch/LA also made a presentation for the business, sources said [Adweek, Jan. 25].

Overall, the client spent nearly $275 million last year on ads, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus, but sources estimated MediaVest’s assignment at $180 million. (It does not include Fisher-Price planning or any other Mattel media business outside the U.S.)

“MediaVest brought a lot to the table in terms of holistic media planning and core consumer research,” said Jeanne Hanahan, director of advertising services at Mattel, in a statement. “The agency’s communication tools and strategic process fits our vision of consumer-focused, knowledge-based media decisions.”

WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather in Los Angeles handles creative for Mattel’s Barbie and other assignments; sibling Young & Rubicam in Irvine, Calif., handles Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price characters and other work.

Earlier this year, Publicis’ Leo Burnett in Chicago won creative for Mattel’s American Girl product line, which was previously in-house [Adweek Online, Jan. 11].