Wal-Mart is making headlines again with an announcement from GSD&M that its twenty-year-long advertising partnership will come to a close.

The firm was invited to re-pitch in what Wal-Mart hoped to be a continuation of their 20-year partnership but the firm chose to decline the $580 million account.

Co-Founder and President of GSD&M Roy Spence released a statement wishing Wal-Mart well and announcing, "I want to thank Wal-Mart for inviting us to re-pitch the business. I have decided to decline. We helped build Wal-Mart from $11 billion in sales to $312 billion. We declare victory," reports AdAge.com.

The account was originally awarded to DraftFCB and Aegis Group's Carat in a decision made in late October by former marketing exec's Julie Roehm and Steve Womack. That decision was reversed with the dismissal of Roehm and Womack under suspicion of inappropriate behavior on the part of Roehm, who was said to have been seen driving the Aston-Martin of Howard Draft, chairman-CEO of DraftFCB.

Whether or not the Roehm and Womack controversy or pressures from the re- review back in May contributed to the end of GSD&M's relationship with Wal-Mart is unclear; but it has been said that the agency is excited about the prospects of chasing down new retailers-- a liberty they did not have time for while working for Wal-Mart.