At Group M, the account will be handled by Mediaedge:cia. Publicis Groupe's Starcom and Tapestry were the incumbents on the account. Group M will now be looking after the general and Hispanic media planning and buying accounts for Toys 'R' Us.
The move by the toy retailer comes four months after it moved its creative account out of Leo Burnett and into WPP's Young & Rubicam Advertising.
Charles Courtier, executive chairman, MEC, said: "Toys 'R' Us represents a fantastic win for Mediaedge:cia. It is a both a household name and a business with great inherent strength. They've given us a huge vote of confidence and we look forward to bringing all of our expertise and capabilities in communications planning and implementation to Toys 'R' Us in the months and years ahead."
Reports say that there was no review of the account and that the consolidation came because the company wanted to have a seamless flow between creative and media.
Toys 'R' Us has been undergoing a wider business review this year, including a restructuring of its global toy business in an effort to reduce operating and capital costs and increase cash flow potential.
Amy Parker, senior vice president of marketing, Toys R Us, said: "Mediaedge:cia will be a key partner for Toys 'R' Us. Mediaedge:cia's combination of strategic and analytical skills and its knowledge of all media from traditional TV and print to emerging media such as video-on-demand, will move our communications forward in fresh, new ways."
She added: "We would also like to acknowledge the strong partnership we've had with Starcom and Tapestry and express our respect for all of their efforts on our behalf."
Group M, the division of WPP that also houses MindShare, won the Paramount Pictures review, reported to be worthy $480m. One of its other major clients, Nestle, also said last week that it would be consolidating its £900m global media planning and buying account into Group M and Publicis-owned ZenithOptimedia, leaving Interpublic Group's Universal McCann out in the cold.
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