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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Seton McGowan, Mullen, 336-774-9226, smcgowan@mullen.com
WINSTON-SALEM, NC — May 9, 2013 — Mullen NC announced today that it has been selected as agency of record for Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, the 1,330-unit franchise made famous by its fresh, hand-rolled treats. The decision was made following a client-led review. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Mullen, an independent brand within the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG), will provide fully integrated marketing communications services for the company based in Lancaster, Pa., including strategic planning, creative across all touchpoints, digital marketing and offline and online media. Creative work is expected in the fall, supporting both brand and new product marketing initiatives, including new creative for Auntie Anne’s Honey Whole Grain Pretzel, which launched earlier this year.
“Mullen came to us with a distinctively integrated approach for appealing to the Auntie Anne’s loyalists while bringing the brand to a wider audience,” said Matt Simon, Auntie Anne’s Director of Marketing. “Their deep understanding of the franchise industry and consumer brands, coupled with expertise in applying strategic consumer insights, will allow them to develop concepts positioned to evolve Auntie Anne’s history of indulgent snacking.”
Auntie Anne’s, which recently celebrated its 25th birthday, is known for mixing, twisting and baking pretzels all day long in public view at busy shopping centers, universities, airports and other travel centers. Mullen’s creative work will aim to elevate consumer perceptions of the brand past its physical locations, said Jason Black, Mullen NC executive creative director.
“Anyone who has spent any amount of time in a mall or airport is familiar with the Auntie Anne’s pretzel,” Black said. “It’s a warm, comforting and nostalgic treat with just the right amount of quirk. We will have a lot of fun making the Auntie Anne’s brand top-of-mind with snackers everywhere.”
Taylor Bryant, Mullen managing director, said the agency’s “hyperbundled” approach to marketing solutions proved its strength among Auntie Anne’s marketing team and franchise owners alike.
“Our hyperbundled model brings together experts across marketing disciplines to execute campaigns that successfully engage consumers across all touchpoints,” Bryant said. “Our job is to deliver new ways and channels through which we can excite consumers’ taste buds; and the campaigns we develop in collaboration with the client will accomplish that.”
Mullen is a full-service, “hyperbundled” agency with an “unbound” approach to marketing. It specializes in working with culturally relevant experiential brands and is recognized as the leading marketing-to-women consultancy through its Frank About Women group. Agency clients include Unilever, Hanesbrands, CSX Transportation, Men’s Wearhouse and Food Lion. Mullen was recently recognized as one of The Ten Great Ad Agencies of 2012 by Forbes. Headquartered in Boston, the agency operates offices in North Carolina, Detroit, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. Mullen is an independent brand within the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG). For more on Mullen North Carolina, please visit mullennc.com.
Mullen NC provides leading-edge, integrated services. We work closely together to help brands navigate the complex, constantly evolving marketing ecosystem in ways they never imagined.
We’re unbound in the way we work. We tore down the walls between strategic planning, creative, digital, public relations, social influence, media, mobile, direct response and performance analytics. It’s what allows us to remain hyper-relevant in an extremely competitive world, faced with an explosion of media choices and consumers in control.
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We’ve engaged with women from the moment of consideration to final activation in almost any category you could imagine. From new product development to resonant creative ideation to global brand positioning, we leverage digital, social and mobile to connect women in their moment of truth. We know what drives women to engage with brands
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