CHICAGO - PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that they will combine their ad spend "pull"?" the two companies spent more than $1.15 billion on media last year in the United States ?" to lower their ad spend costs from media companies, Advertising Age reports.

The arrangement furthers their "joint-purchasing agreement" that the two companies signed last year to save money on items such as travel, computers and office supplies. At the time, a PepsiCo spokesperson specifically excluded media costs and marketing from the pact.

However, the companies are now moving to network, cable, print, and outdoor media buys and it is believed that they already approached NBC Universal, Turner, and Conde Nast regarding rates.

"This follows on the relationship we started last October to purchase goods in the U.S.," said a PepsiCo spokesperson, who declined to estimate cost savings. "It's a way to allow both companies to purchase media more effectively and efficiently and reinvest savings in our businesses."

Advertising Age speculated that the partnership would have a "dramatic impact" on Super Bowl ad spending, as the two companies have been the game??s two largest advertisers over the past 20 years. It said that the move is likely to spark similar arrangements from other marketers.