DDB's office here has been selected as lead agency for all-natural snack food SoyJoy.

Client ad spending was $33 million in 2008, up from $20 million during the product's national rollout the year before, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

RPA, an independent shop in Santa Monica, Calif., handled that introductory campaign, crafting work tagged "Real is revolutionary."

The selection came after a review in which the other finalists were WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather in Chicago, Omnicom's Element 79 in Chicago and the incumbent, RPA, according to a source. Select Resources International in Santa Monica, Calif., managed the process.

Final presentations took place last week at SoyJoy parent Pharmavite's offices in Northridge, Calif.

Gary Kuchta, CMO at Pharmavite, said in a statement: "DDB demonstrated great expertise and passion in the food and nutrition arena that came through in their strategy and creative work."

Added Lisa Bennett, DDB S.F. CCO: "The team is energized and anxious to begin working on what will be a truly integrated campaign."

DDB will now fashion a multimedia campaign. It pitched the business with sibling Omnicom units Tribal DDB and PHD. Omnicom's Porter Novelli works on SoyJoy's public relations.