J. C. Decaux, the world’s largest outdoor advertising company, has tied
up a major deal with Mars to combine poster advertising with vending
machines on city streets across Europe and the US.
The deal centres on J. C. Decaux’s vending column street furniture,
which combines two ad sites, an information site and now machines
dispensing Mars confectionery.
The concept launches in Manchester this week and will be rolled out
across major UK cities, including Birmingham, Sheffield and London,
before being exported internationally.
The idea is to offer Mars key incremental sales in locations where there
is currently no retail outlet. Many small retailers, such as CTNs, have
been driven out of city centres by high property prices. This has cut
the number of distribution outlets for companies such as Mars.
Richard Crabtree, the channel development manager for Mars
Confectionery, said: ‘By placing the vending units in J. C. Decaux’s
advertising columns, we can ensure that it is easy and convenient to get
your favourite Mars brands at any time of day or night.’
Mars will also run a poster campaign on the 15-foot-high columns.
Spencer Berwin, the UK sales manager at J. C. Decaux, said: ‘Mars can
select powerful advertising messages on key locations while selling to
their customers at the same time.’
The Mars deal came as J. C. Decaux confirmed that it had picked up the
contract to supply street furniture - such as bus shelters carrying
advertising messages - in the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Lambeth,
Wandsworth and Bexley.
The contracts were won in competition against the More Group’s Adshel
division.
