JAA secures £3m Yoplait yogurt task

John Ayling & Associates (JAA) has been appointed to handle the £3m media planning and buying for Yoplait Dairy Crest without a pitch.

John Ayling & Associates (JAA) has been appointed to handle the £3m media planning and buying for Yoplait Dairy Crest without a pitch.

Previous incumbent Universal McCann was forced to resign the business after Nestlé handed Universal its Ski and Munch Bunch accounts, worth about £10m. JAA already handles the media account for Dairy Crest, Yoplait’s parent company.

Yoplait brands include Petits Filous, Frubes and Yop. It also holds the licence to make Weight Watchers by Heinz yogurts. According to Taylor Nelson Sofres, Yoplait fromage frais is the second most popular yogurt behind Müller Light.

This year, Yoplait is to put £6m marketing spend behind its brands because of Nestlé’s entrance into the chilled dairy market. As well as doubling its investment on Petits Filous, it is also increasing marketing spend on Yop, Weight Watchers and its new range called Best There Is!

Last month, Yoplait signed a £1m, three-year deal to sponsor baseball and softball in the UK. The sponsorship is through its Frubes brand and includes the renaming of the Junior Baseball and Softball Leagues to include the Frubes name.

Yoplait’s marketing is headed by Gerry Roads. He took over from Anne Hollamby who left to join Bendicks of Mayfair two years ago.

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