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Publicis Groupe has been appointed to handle media planning and buying for The Magnum Ice Cream Co., the Unilever spinoff that will house brands including Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Cornetto, and Wall’s, ADWEEK has learned. A source with close knowledge of the matter said that Publicis and WPP were the final two agencies in the pitch. WPP Media’s Mindshare previously held the bulk of the business. Unilever’s ice cream division, which also includes brands like Breyers and Klondike, spent a combined $34 million on media in 2024, per data from COMvergence. ADWEEK understands Omnicom, which won some of Unilever’s media business in its 2024 review, also handled some buying and planning for the unit. ADWEEK has reached out to The Magnum Ice Cream Co., Publicis Groupe, and Omnicom for comment. At the time of writing, they did not respond. WPP declined to comment. The latest move follows Coca-Cola North America, Mars, and Paramount shifting their media business from WPP to Publicis earlier this year. It also comes amid a period of turbulence for Unilever’s ice cream business. In recent months, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen and the brand’s independent board have clashed with Unilever leadership over the company’s social mission and governance structure. Fellow co-founderJerry Greenfield departed in September, and Cohen told Reuters in October that he expects “the conflict to continue” under the new ownership model. Ice Cream Spin Off Unilever first announced plans to spin off its “heavily seasonal” ice cream unit in March 2024 as part of a strategy to streamline its business. The process is set to finalize on 6. December, when The Magnum Ice Cream Co. will start trading with a primary listing in Amsterdam and secondary listings planned in New York and London. The CPG will retain a 19% stake in the business for at least five years. Longtime Unilever exec and current ice cream boss, Peter Ter Kulve, will take on the role of chief executive (CEO) at the newly-formed business.
