By Adria Calatayud

WPP is expanding its partnership with Heineken and using an in-house artificial intelligence platform for shopper-marketing activities, underscoring the growing role AI plays in ad firms' pitches.

The London-based advertising group said Monday that Heineken selected it as global shopper-marketing and commerce partner. A team led by agency VML will deploy WPP Open--the company's AI-powered operating system--to deliver marketing and commerce services for the Heineken brand's portfolio, which includes the namesake brand of traditional beer as well as Heineken 0.0 and Heineken Silver, WPP said.

Financial details of the agreement weren't disclosed. WPP said the remit of its expanded partnership with Heineken includes global development of so-called below-the-line marketing activities, or those outside mainstream media.

The ad industry has been transformed by the growing presence of technology giants for over a decade, and the rise of generative AI tools, which promise to make agencies' work faster and cheaper, risks further upheaval.

WPP's organic net revenue growth has lagged behind that of ad-group peers like Publicis in recent years, which analysts say is in part due to losses of key accounts. Investors are looking at its new business pitches for signs of whether the group's top line can bounce back.

The company has credited the WPP Open platform with helping it win a number of last year's biggest account reviews, such as Amazon.com and Unilever.

In 2025, the company plans to increase annual investment in WPP Open to 300 million pounds ($388.2 million) from 250 million pounds and to deploy it more broadly. The number of WPP Open monthly active users rose to 33,000 last year from 10,000 in 2023 as it became embedded in WPP's daily workflows, the company said.

Rutger van der Stegen, head of the Heineken brand's below-the-line marketing activities, said WPP was able to drive higher efficiencies through WPP Open, underpinned by advanced AI.

The latest deal builds on WPP's existing relationship with Heineken, which included work by Ogilvy and Design Bridge.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 31, 2025 06:36 ET (10:36 GMT)

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