AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD AGENCY
The Mars Agency isn’t just a client, it’s a global leader in commerce. A pioneer in shopper marketing since 1973, they’ve grown into Mars Unitedâ„ , a collective of commerce solutions who pride themselves on their reputation as leaders in shopper conversion, retail intelligence, and groundbreaking technology.
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Their mission? To shape commerce with every click, swipe and interaction, making each client’s business better than it was yesterday.
Our role? To make sure every campaign hits that sweet spot locally, whether it’s enjoyed in Germany or Uzbekistan.
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We first crossed paths in July 2011, when a chance encounter at a London pub brewed up more than just casual conversation. Alice, WIT’s Managing Director, met a friend of a friend, who just so happened to be the Creative Director at Mars.
No pitch decks. No planned meetings. Just a friendly chat that quickly turned into our first project together: a pitch for Coca Cola’s Euro 2012 campaign for the French market.
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We teamed up to run a live cultural consultation with French consumers, giving Mars the local insights they needed to truly understand both a market and its audience's culture. They landed the pitch, easy as pie — and just like that, a long-term partnership was born.
GLOBAL BRANDS, LOCAL FALVOUR
Since then, Mars has worked hand in hand with WIT on campaigns for M&M’s, Walmart, Snickers, Whiskas, and more. Across 15+ languages and markets, we’ve:
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Transcreated not just headlines and taglines, but also scripts and visuals assets
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Adapted content from fizzy drinks and pet food to retail and vending machines
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Helped Mars launch campaigns across Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East
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Kept things creatively consistent while giving each market its unique voice
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Nearly 15 years of collaboration in, and the relationship is still going strong!
VENDING MACHINES
THE SECRET INGREDIENT? COLLABORATION.
Every Mars project begins the same way: with a clear and detailed brief, often paired with a kick-off call to align on tone, audience, visuals, channels, and more. We’ve got to admit: Mars’ briefs are some of our favourites!
Then comes the WIT secret sauce: Mars gets multiple transcreation options, each one with back-translations, rationales, and cultural insights. So their team can choose the option that truly hits the right tone for each market, understanding not just what’s written but also why each line resonates.
The conversation doesn’t end there. Mars’ campaigns are usually highly visual, so in-situ revisions are also served up hot to make sure the layout is spot-on, with every word landing exactly where (and how) it should. Stir feedback calls to the mix to align on any changes, and shared love for great copy, and you’ve got one tasty, WITty treat: collaborative, transparent, and culturally tuned.
So glad you could help us out, really made a difference.
Glad we met.
Sarah, Creative Director
We are all very happy!
Thanks for all your help.
Greg Thorpe, Business Director
(now Managing Director)
