Publicis Groupe has landed PepsiCo’s global media business, a major account win that will see the holding company build a new unified media model across more than 200 markets.
The move consolidates media strategy, planning, activation, connected identity, data, and technology under a new “One PepsiCo” structure serving brands including Pepsi, Gatorade, and Lay’s.
PepsiCo spent $5.4 billion on marketing activities in 2025, including $3.4 billion on advertising, underscoring the scale of the assignment.
The appointment also reshuffles the agency landscape around two of the world’s biggest beverage marketers.
According to Adweek, Publicis is expected to withdraw from Coca-Cola’s ongoing global media review following the PepsiCo win. Publicis already handles Coca-Cola’s media and data business in the U.S. and Canada. The company declined to comment on the reported withdrawal.
For PepsiCo, the change is part of a broader effort to modernize its media operation around AI, data and connected consumer identity.
The company said the new model is designed to help it make “smarter marketing decisions” and create “more relevant consumer connections” across paid, earned and shared media.
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Publicis’ appointment will displace Omnicom’s OMD in several major markets, including the U.S. and U.K., where the network has worked with PepsiCo for more than two decades.
PepsiCo said Omnicom will remain a “critical strategic partner” across a range of creative, sports and PR assignments.
Publicis was not entirely new to the business. The group has already worked with PepsiCo in markets including China, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and parts of Eastern Europe.
According to Adweek, there was no formal pitch for the global media account. Publicis was appointed following a media capabilities review.
The timing is notable.
Publicis has been on a sustained new-business run, driven in part by its investment in data and AI capabilities. PepsiCo, meanwhile, is reshaping its marketing model while also conducting a separate global review focused on broader AI transformation and marketing capabilities.
That review has reportedly included Omnicom, Accenture, Deloitte and Publicis Groupe’s Sapient unit.
The PepsiCo media win also comes as the company continues to adjust its portfolio and marketing strategy. PepsiCo has expanded through acquisitions including Poppi and Siete, while executives have said advertising and marketing investment in North America would increase in the second half of 2026.
For Publicis, the victory matters not only because of the account’s size, but because it appears to force a strategic choice between the two biggest names in cola.
Winning PepsiCo means stepping away from Coca-Cola’s global media race.
That is one very expensive case of choosing sides.
