As much as the story has generated a lot of buzz, I find the news of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG to be unsurprising and part of the natural order. I am sad for the great agency legacies that will be mothballed. I am sad for the jobs that will be cut. I am sad that…
The recent announcement of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG got me thinking about my early days working for both holding companies. I started my career in media at BBDO, buying television. Back then, media and creative worked together under one roof, and holding companies were only beginning to consolidate their power. It was a simpler time…
On December 13, 1996, Miller Beer pulled all its business out of Leo Burnett, literally overnight. Officially, it was about lackluster sales, but rumors abounded that Miller discovered a subsidiary of Burnett had taken a small project from Anheuser-Busch, and Miller was livid. Now that holding companies own a huge part of the advertising landscape,…
Industry insiders predict that Omnicom Group’s takeover of Interpublic Group (IPG) will likely lead to the consolidation and elimination of legacy creative agency brands. Omnicom announced on Monday (Dec. 9) that it is acquiring rival holding company IPG, creating the world’s largest advertising group. The new company will be called Omnicom, and leadership anticipates it…
Upon the news that Omnicom is acquiring rival agency holding company Interpublic Group, marketers and brands are wondering how the potential merger could impact the TV marketplace. Ross Benes, a senior analyst with eMarketer, said if the deal goes through without any significant delays or divestment requirements, it could add more scale to the connected…
In what is without a doubt one of the top five episodes of Seinfeld, George is regaling his moment as a “marine biologist” with Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine: “The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli!” George’s “perfect storm” also perfectly captures what…
Omnicom’s reported $14 billion blockbuster acquisition of IPG has the potential to rival Publicis Groupe’s position as a center for tech and innovation excellence, thanks to the potential interplay of the new Omnicom entity’s data, commerce, and AI tech capabilities. But, while having separate pieces of the puzzle will be helpful, merging them successfully is…
If Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic (IPG) goes as planned, the ‘big six’ holding companies will become the ‘big five’ before 2025 is done. Through its reported $13.25 billion acquisition of its rival, Omnicom will now be the dominant network in the U.S., competing with French powerhouses Publicis Groupe and Havas, U.K.-based WPP, and Japan’s Dentsu…
Omnicom’s IPG takeover could make it a stronger retail media competitor to Publicis. Retail media’s growth is a bright spot for ad holding companies, and all of them are building and acquiring commerce and retail services. But Publicis has led the space in terms of acquisitions. Over the past five years, Publicis has acquired data…
Nearly two months after AKQA announced the departure of founder and CEO Ajaz Ahmed, the WPP-owned digital agency has reorganized its network to better service clients across offices and markets, it shared exclusively with ADWEEK. The new structure aims to simplify access to AKQA’s offering for clients, who increasingly want integrated services and teams. It…
After less than 24 hours of rumors, reports, and speculation, Omnicom has confirmed its acquisition of Interpublic Group. Expected to close in the second half of 2025, the deal has the potential to upend the ad industry by creating a holding company behemoth that could take on the dominance of WPP and Publicis Groupe. First,…
Interpublic Group is betting on commerce and retail media. The holding company has agreed to acquire retail analytics firm Intelligence Node. Exact terms were not disclosed, but the acquisition is valued at $100 million, which includes the price of the deal and the costs to scale Intelligence Node. Intelligence Node’s 120 employees will become part…
Nadja Bellan-White, who has been serving as CEO of creative agency M&C Saatchi SS+K since January, was promoted to CEO of M&C Saatchi North America Group. Prior to joining M&C Saatchi Group, Bellan-White spent three years as global chief marketing officer at Vice Media Group. She brings extensive agency experience, as well, with nine years…
The Ad Council, at its 70th annual public service award dinner Thursday night, honored Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger as an outstanding corporate citizenship, including his support for multiple Ad Council efforts, and the event raised a record-breaking $9.2 million to support its efforts. The event was co-hosted by actors Angela Bassett and Lilly…
Interpublic Group has sold experience design and technology agency Huge to private equity firm AEA Investors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As part of the transaction, AEA Investors will combine Huge with Hero Digital, a customer experience company it already owns. AEA Investors said the combined agency will become one of the largest…
Tools of the Trade is a feature to help highlight the many tools that help make advertising and marketing folks successful. The tools can be anything that helps people perform at their top form, from a favorite drafting table to the best software program to a lucky pen, a vintage typewriter or a pair of…
ADWEEK opened the 2025 Media Agency of the Year Awards for entry. The program seeks to recognize media agencies demonstrating innovation and excellence in media planning and buying, Nominations are due Dec. 23, 2024. Media agencies can apply for recognition in three categories: Breakthrough: For this award, ADWEEK considers agencies founded five or fewer years…
The holidays are here, and now is the time to gift our readers some campaigns and news you might not have seen yet. So enjoy this cozy batch of marketing morsels to get you through Turkey Day, Black Friday, and the rest of the holidays. Last Prisoner Project Thanksgiving is a time for family traditions,…
Last week, Sweetgreen’s newly unveiled Kale Camo Hoodie hit my social feed. My first reaction was: “What a clever way to super-serve mega fans.” The company proudly heralded the idea in a press release and touted the new merch on social media just before the holidays. An hour later, another post hit my feed. Apparel…
Tools of the Trade is a feature to help highlight the many tools that help make advertising and marketing folks successful. The tools can be anything that helps people perform at their top form, from a favorite drafting table to the best software program to a lucky pen, a vintage typewriter or a pair of…
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