Dell to form venture with WPP to handle ads

U.S. computer manufacturer Dell said Sunday it will invest $4.5 billion in marketing over three years as part of an agreement to form a new agency with Britain's WPP that will handle all of the company's advertising and marketing. Dell, the No. 2 personal computer maker behind Hewlett-Packard, formerly used more than 800 agencies worldwide to handle all its advertising and marketing campaigns.

WPP, one of the world's largest advertising and marketing services firm, edged out peers like Interpublic Group and Omnicom Group to win the account, a spokesman for Dell said.

Story Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.