The advertising industry itself has narrowed dramatically. In Ad Age’s first Agency Report in 1945, 22 agencies made the list. Today, only two remain: McCann and BBDO, both now under Omnicom. The other 20 have been merged away or closed, including Campbell Ewald, which was folded into McCann earlier this year.
Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic has essentially rewritten the agency landscape. The newly combined company is going to market with three global creative networks: BBDO, McCann and TBWA. In the process, three storied names disappear: DDB, FCB and MullenLowe.
How the pieces fit together is rather straightforward. BBDO absorbs FCB. TBWA absorbs DDB and MullenLowe. McCann stands on its own as IPG’s final flagship.
BBDO dates back to the 1891 founding of George Batten Co. and became Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn after its 1928 merger. It helped form Omnicom in 1986 and now takes in FCB, which predates it by almost 20 years.
McCann traces to H.K. McCann Co. (1912) and Erickson Co. (1902), which merged in 1930. It became the defining agency inside Interpublic, advertising’s first holding company. The network will now go to market simply as McCann, dropping the Worldgroup label.
TBWA, founded in Paris in 1970 and acquired by Omnicom in 1993, inherits DDB (founded in 1949) and MullenLowe, whose roots stretch back to 1899. The network also includes TBWA\Chiat\Day, the iconic shop Omnicom added in 1995.
Omnicom is also updating its own identity. The company will publicly drop “Group” and operate as Omnicom, though its legal name remains Omnicom Group Inc. The “Group” naming convention has been fading since WPP abandoned it in 2008 — though Publicis Groupe and Dentsu Group still hold on.
As previously announced, John Wren continues as Chairman & CEO, Phil Angelastro serves as EVP & CFO, and Philippe Krakowsky and Daryl Simm serve as Co-Presidents and COOs.
“The expertise and dedication of our leadership team and the promise of our Connected Capabilities make us uniquely positioned to turn this moment into a catalyst for intelligent growth – for our people, our clients and our shareholders,” said John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom. “I am proud to welcome the people, agencies and clients of Interpublic to Omnicom and create a global community of the best and brightest professionals in the industry, all of whom will have access to the most advanced AI tools and Omni, our advanced intelligence platform. Together, we will be the go-to company that shapes how brands grow, people connect and culture evolves.”
REELated:
Omnicom may shutter iconic DDB brand following IPG merger
