The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) has confirmed a strengthened agency partnership with Publicis, marking a significant step in the ice cream giant’s transition to operating as a standalone business following its not-so-formal exit from Unilever.
The relationship was positioned in TMICC’s announcement as central to establishing its independent identity, coming just weeks after the company’s public listing earlier this month.
As previously reported by Adweek, TMICC picked Publicis as its media agency of record as part of that transition.
A newly listed global heavyweight
The ice cream giant’s public debut created the world’s largest ice cream business, with a portfolio across global brands including Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Cornetto, Klondike, Talenti and Wall’s.
Collectively, the brands represent a substantial global media investment, and the partnership is expected to play a key role in sharpening TMICC’s reach and engagement with consumers.
The company said Publicis’ data-driven technology and AI capabilities will underpin its next phase of marketing evolution, particularly as it modernises its media and communications approach outside the Unilever ecosystem.
Julien Barraux, chief creative officer at TMICC, said the partnership would accelerate the company’s transformation.
“This is a pivotal step in our transformation journey and will mark a step change in our ability to reach and engage ice cream consumers,” Barraux said.
“As we move to embed advanced AI technologies across the marketing ecosystem and broader value chain, our partnership with Publicis will ensure our marketing is as innovative and data-driven as the rest of our organisation.”
A shift away from WPP
Under Unilever, media duties for the ice cream business were handled by WPP Media’s Mindshare.
WPP is understood to have participated in the pitch for the TMICC account, according to Adweek.
The move adds to a growing list of high-profile wins for Publicis this year, as the holding group continues to lean into AI and data-led capabilities as a differentiator.
Publicis has previously said that around 80% of its connected media offering is now supported by AI. This strategy has helped it secure major accounts, including The Coca-Cola Company’s North American media and data business and Mars’ global media account, both formerly with WPP.
Ongoing tensions within the business
While TMICC’s separation from Unilever has unlocked strategic freedom, the transition has been anything but controversy-free.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen recently criticised the removal of three directors (Anuradha Mittal, Daryn Dodson, and Jennifer Henderson) from the brand’s independent board, describing the move as “Orwellian” and “destroying” the brand’s legacy.
Ben Cohen and ex co-founder Jerry Greenfield
“They said that they’re enhancing the social mission when they’re actually destroying it. They said that they’re future-proofing the Board of Directors when they’re actually dismantling it,” Cohen told CNBC.
“It’s another desperate power grab.”
The comments followed the removal of three directors from Ben & Jerry’s independent board, escalating a long-running tension between the brand and its corporate owners that dates back to its time under Unilever.
Ben & Jerry’s Unilever appointed CEO Jochanan Senf has defended the changes, which include a nine-year board term limit, new engagement protocols and alignment with TMICC’s code of business integrity, arguing they are designed to strengthen governance and transparency.
A spokesperson for the company told CNBC the changes “aim to preserve and enhance the brand’s historical social mission and safeguard its essential integrity.