Kimberly-Clark awards creative & media to IPG, Omnicom, Publicis, and WPP
Notably, WPP's GroupM lost the U.S. media account to Publicis in 2023.
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Kimberly-Clark, a paper products manufacturer, has concluded its global creative and media agency review. The company has selected Interpublic Group (IPG), Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, and WPP to handle various aspects of its marketing efforts.
This review, initiated last October, aimed to streamline Kimberly-Clark's agency network as part of its "Powering Care" initiative, a $1.5 billion restructuring program designed to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Despite being headquartered in Texas, and producing well-known brands like Huggies, Kotex, Kleenex, Depend, and Cottonelle, Kimberly-Clark ultimately selected agencies from four different holding companies to fulfill its global creative and media needs.
In a statement, the company confirmed that its global RFP process has concluded. "We have divided our assignments as follows," the statement read. "IPG will handle creative duties for our feminine care and family care brands, while WPP will assume creative responsibility for our baby and child care, and adult care brands. Publicis will continue as our media partner in the U.S. and will now also oversee media in Canada, providing a more integrated approach for North American media needs.
Omnicom Group (OMG) has been awarded media responsibilities for all Kimberly-Clark markets outside of North America (excluding South Korea).
"We are excited and eager to get to work with our partners ahead," the company stated. This consolidation follows a period where all major holding companies held Kimberly-Clark assignments. Notably, WPP's GroupM lost the U.S. media account to Publicis in 2023.
While Kimberly-Clark works with various creative agencies, including independents like Quality Meats and Mischief, the future of these relationships remains uncertain. These agencies did not respond to ADWEEK's request for comment.
In May 2024, Kimberly-Clark appointed Patricia Corsi as its new chief growth officer, succeeding retiring Alison Lewis. The brand also initiated in-housing its ad-tech contracts.
According to COMvergence, Kimberly-Clark's estimated global media spend in 2024 was $511 million. In 2023, the company reported global advertising spending of approximately $1.1 billion, with slightly over half of its global sales originating from the U.S.
