Perfetti Van Melle hands media to Havas to support Chupa Chups and Mentos across AUNZ

Perfetti Van Melle has appointed Havas Media Network ANZ to lead media duties across Australia and New Zealand, as the global confectionery giant eyes growth for brands including Chupa Chups and Mentos.

The pitch focused on identifying an agency that could deliver consumer cut-through and support the company’s ambitions to build on its established distribution footprint. Havas emerged ahead of competing indie and global agencies, with the win extending a four-year partnership between the two.

Michael Puglisi, country manager for Perfetti Van Melle ANZ, said Havas will begin work immediately on audience strategy and campaign development, with a brief to deliver innovative campaigns and renewed customer focus.

Part of the remit is to reduce media wastage, improve planning efficiency and unlock more value from existing investments, while also keeping the brands front-of-mind for existing customers.

Virginia Hyland, CEO of Havas Media Network ANZ, said the win as the incumbent was a strong validation of the agency’s evolved offering.

“We’re converging data smarts with the ability to activate quickly in-channel to deliver greater retail impact,” Hyland said. “The Perfetti Van Melle team is ambitious and constantly challenges the status quo - exactly the kind of client that brings out our best thinking.”

Havas Media will also use its proprietary Converged platform, which draws on some 35,000 audience insights from half a million individuals across demographic, behavioural and purchasing data.

Perfetti Van Melle is one of the world’s largest confectionery and gum manufacturers, with brands sold in more than 150 countries. Its portfolio includes Chupa Chups, Mentos, Smint and AirHeads.