Mattel has appointed IPG Mediabrands' UM to its media account in Australia following a global alignment, which included the APAC region.
The global toy manufacturer is best known for its Barbie, Hot Wheels, FIsher-Price, Thomas the Tank Engine and Mattel Games products.
The account was previously held by Dentsu Aegis Network-owned agency Carat and was one of its biggest clients in the UK and Europe.
Industry sources told AdNews the account is worth roughly $8 million to $10 million in local annual spend. UM Australia declined to comment on Mattel from a local perspective.
The appointment to the APAC region expands on the January 2018 appointment of UM LATAM to manage Mattel’s media planning and buying in Latin America.
“We are thrilled to build on our great working relationship with Mattel, and to expand our partnership with the iconic toy and game-maker around the world,” UM global CEO Daryl Lee says.
“I am incredibly proud of the work UM LATAM has done over the past two years, and look forward to bringing the same level of better innovation and performance to Mattel’s markets in EMEA and APAC.”
According to its most recent annual report, the brand spent £420m on advertising globally last year. The brand also stated at the time that it is looking to grow its ad spend in key markets following a cut to its advertising budget in 2017.
UM continues to build on its strong 2018, adding both Maserati and Menulog to its client list this year, while also retaining the valuable $20m Kmart account.
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