Global FMCG firm Mars has opted to drop WPP as its lead media account holder, in favour of its direct rival Publicis after a competitive pitch process.

The move comes shortly after WPP CEO Mark Read announced he would be stepping down from his role at the end of the year, with the London-based group now searching for a successor.

The switch marks the latest coup by Publicis against its long-time rival, having also won Coca-Cola’s North American account and Sky’s European media account.

“When it comes to building brands, we know that to remain iconic, we must remain in motion,” said Gülen Bengi, lead chief marketing officer 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. Our new industry-leading agency ecosystem is the next piece in our plan to bring this vision to life. The Mars way.”

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According to Campaign, the review covered media, commerce, social media, brand, PR and influencer marketing across 70 markets including the US and the UK.

The US brand’s creative advertising was not a part of the review, with Omnicom’s BBDO and DDB divisions set to continue working on its creative output.

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.

“Mars’ iconic brands and our unmatched capabilities – powered by the depth of our Connected ID, core AI and human insights – we are ready, energised and eager to bring to life the One Mars platform and help deliver the next generation of brand building for this special company, as we redefine the industry in the age of AI together,” he added.