In a move that continues its aggressive acquisition campaign in Brazil, Publicis Groupe announced it had entered an agreement to acquire Tailor Made, a Brazilian independent advertising agency established by Paulo Giovanni.

According to the terms of the agreement, Publicis Groupe immediately acquires a minority stake of the new agency, and has the possibility of increasing its participation to 100% by 2013. The agency will be integrated into Leo Burnett Brazil, which will be renamed Leo Burnett Tailor Made.

It will be chaired by Paulo Giovanni, newly named CEO of Leo Burnett Tailor Made. Leo Burnett Tailor Made will work out of Leo Burnett’s current offices in Sao Paulo, and will provide its clients with the full range of communications services.

With 160 communications professionals, the agency will service clients including Fiat, Procter & Gamble, Rossi, Samsung, Walmart / Sam’s Club, Phillip Morris, Camil, Emirates, Chrysler Group and Radio Disney.

Brazil is an important market for Publicis Groupe. This agreement marks the third such investment for Publicis Groupe this month in Brazil, following the acquisition of GP7, and the increased participation (60%) in the Talent Group.

Publicis Groupe’s 2010 operations in Brazil include the acquisitions of Taterka (minority share) and AG2. Brazil is to become the sixth ad market in the world in 2011.

Tom Bernardin, CEO of Leo Burnett Worldwide, said Publicis Groupe’s objectives for Leo Burnett Brazil are bold and aggressive. With Publicis’ already strong presence in the market and a reputation for creative excellence, the acquisition of Tailor Made, and most importantly the leadership of Paulo Giovanni, the firm is better positioned than ever to take advantage of the opportunities in this booming Brazilian market.

CEO of Leo Burnett Tailor Made, Paulo Giovanni reiterated his delight over the investment, noting that Tailor Made will add a management model that respects each and every client’s specific business needs in the fast growing and highly competitive advertising market.

According to ZenithOptimedia forecasts (April 2011), Brazil ad expenditure grew by 18.1% in 2010. The forecasts predict a 9.5% increase over the course of 2011, followed by 7.0% and 7.2% growth in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Brazil is to become the sixth ad market in the world in 2011.

Publicis Groupe is the world’s third largest communications group. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, Publicis Groupe employs approximately 49,000 professionals and offers local and international clients a complete range of advertising services through three global networks: Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, and numerous agencies.