Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have traded media agencies in one of advertising’s biggest competitive markets.
Coca-Cola has awarded its North America media account to Omnicom following a review that came down to the holding company and Dentsu. The move gives Omnicom one of the beverage industry’s most closely watched accounts just weeks after longtime client PepsiCo shifted its global media business to Publicis Groupe.
For Omnicom, the timing is notable. The company handled PepsiCo media for roughly three decades before Pepsi announced the move to Publicis in September. Omnicom will continue supporting PepsiCo across creative, PR and sports marketing, meaning it will now maintain significant relationships with both beverage rivals in the U.S.
Coca-Cola said the Omnicom appointment reflects a broader effort to connect media, data, CRM, loyalty and creator capabilities within one system rather than treating them as separate channels.
“By bringing media, data, CRM, loyalty and creators together within one connected ecosystem, the North America operating unit can move beyond channel-based execution toward more integrated consumer experiences,” Coca-Cola noted.
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The North America review was launched after PepsiCo’s move to Publicis. Publicis had been Coca-Cola’s incumbent in the region, while WPP, Coke’s global agency partner, chose not to participate in the pitch. That left Omnicom and Dentsu competing for the business.
WPP remains deeply embedded with Coca-Cola despite sitting out the North America media review. WPP Open X will continue serving as Coke’s global creative partner, while WPP also retained the company’s global media, data and technology business following a separate review.
Coca-Cola ranked as the 24th-largest U.S. advertiser in Ad Age’s 2026 Brand Report, with estimated U.S. advertising spending of $2.2 billion in 2025, up from $2 billion the year before.
The new North America structure will begin rolling out in phases starting December 1.
“We began this process with a clear objective: ensure we have the right partners, capabilities and operating model to continue to lead in a rapidly changing marketing landscape,” said Manolo Arroyo, Coca-Cola’s executive vice president and chief marketing and customer commercial officer.
Arroyo said the new model is intended to increase consumer understanding, speed and the use of emerging technologies across the company’s marketing operation.
For Omnicom, the win puts it immediately back at the center of beverage media after losing PepsiCo.
Only this time, it will be doing it for the other cola.
