Yildiz Holding Appoints Beanstalk as Brand Extension Agency for Godiva, McVitie's, FLIPZ, and TURTLES Brands in Key Strategic Territories

New York, New York, May 15, 2017 – Global food company Yildiz Holding has appointed Beanstalk as its exclusive brand extension agency for the Godiva, McVitie’s, FLIPZ and TURTLES brands in key strategic territories. Beanstalk will represent Godiva in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and China markets; McVitie’s in Europe; and FLIPZ and TURTLES in North America.

Owner of Godiva, McVitie’s and Ulker brands among many others globally, Yildiz Holding is expanding some of the best-loved and most recognizable food brands in the world to key geographies. Godiva has made an art form of creating the finest luxury Belgian chocolate, elevating its craftsmanship to bring chocolate lovers a multi-sensory experience. As the UK’s leading biscuit brand, McVitie’s offers a range of delicious biscuits and cakes, which have been passionately baked for generations. FLIPZ and TURTLES are best-selling chocolate covered pretzels and original caramel nut clusters in the North American market, featuring only the finest ingredients to deliver sweet and crunchy perfection. Together, these four indulgent experiences harness over 300 years of heritage.

Beanstalk will seek new opportunities for the brands across close-to-core food categories including beverages, desserts, ice cream, baked goods, snacks and baking products, as well as gifting, bakeware, housewares and publishing, among other categories. Beanstalk will also seek in-restaurant partnerships that would feature the brands on menu items.

Cem Karakas, Executive Deputy Chairman, Yildiz Holding said: “Our brands have a unifying passion to create biscuits and confectionery that people everywhere can enjoy. Through licensing, we will bring consumers new ways to experience our brands in complementary categories, through new channels of distribution and in new store aisles. Beanstalk’s extensive food and beverage experience will help us grow our brands through partnerships with industry leaders that are committed to quality and innovation.”

Allison Ames, President and CEO of Beanstalk added: “We are honored to have been selected by Yildiz Holding to extend its wonderful portfolio of brands. The common thread is their artisan nature, loyal consumer base and distinctive flavor profiles. Be it Godiva, McVitie’s, FLIPZ or TURTLES, these sweet and savory treats are recognized and enjoyed by consumers all around the world. We look forward to creating exciting and innovative products for this incredible family of brands and further spreading its legacy.”

About Yildiz Holding (www.yildizholding.com.tr)

Yildiz Holding, through its global confectionery and biscuits companies Godiva Chocolatier (www.godiva.com) and pladis (www.pladisglobal.com), is a focused food company with over 320 brands in more than 40 different categories and employs 56,000 people globally. Owner of iconic brands Godiva, McVitie’s and Ulker, the company also operates in several other categories including edible fats and oils as well as frozen and canned food. With a revenue of US $11.5 billion, Yildiz has 83 factories in 14 countries.

About Beanstalk  

Beanstalk, a global brand extension agency, works closely with our clients to unlock brand equity and create many of the world’s most recognizable products and services.  We help leading brands, celebrities, media properties, manufacturers and retailers creatively find ways to strengthen their relationship with their most important stakeholder – the consumer.

Beanstalk offers a breadth of services including brand representation, manufacturer representation, icon representation, retailer partnerships, STUDIO B creative services, approvals management, legal and financial services, and royalty auditing.  Blueprint – Powered by Beanstalk, our consulting division, advises clients through four key practice areas: brand extension + retail development, research + insights, design + identity, and operations + governance. Tinderbox, our digital division, works with gaming and new media properties to realize their potential in the world of consumer products.

The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Miami and Cincinnati and affiliates throughout the world.  For more information, please visit www.beanstalk.com. Beanstalk is a part of the DAS Group of Companies.

About The DAS Group of Companies

The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organisations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.