The account, snatched from Carat in a competitive France-based pitch, was worth £2m in the UK last year, according to Nielsen. The business' UK media spend is expected to rise to £4m in 2009, fuelled by launches of new product ranges.
The pitch was led by Frederic Juramie, EMEA marketing director of McCormick, who singled out the "strong strategic approach" taken by the Publicis Groupe agency.
SMG will now handle all planning and buying work for McCormick's brands, which include Schwartz, the world's largest producer of herbs, spices, seasonings and flavourings, and new food brand Thai Kitchen.
Marketing activity will be rolled out across the UK, France and Switzerland. Previous media activity in the UK has included a range of TV sponsorships around Richard & Judy's former TV show on Channel 4.
Stewart Easterbrook, chief executive of SMG, said: "We look forward to making a significant impact on McCormick's brand growth over the next few years."
