To power the next generation of creativity at Omnicom Group, the network agency has announced the formation of Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), globally.
Similar to Omnicom’s media vertical, the newly formed global organisation- OAG is a consolidation of all of the group’s creative agencies- be it DDB, BBDO, TBWA\ or even Advertising Collective which comprises Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners and Zimmerman all under one roof and leadership.
Aimed at accelerating investments in innovative tools, technologies, and AI platforms to Power the next generation of creativity at Omnicom Group, the newly formed OAG will be led by TBWA\’s Troy Ruhanen as Global CEO, Deepthi Prakash as Chief Operating Officer and Denis Streiff as Global CFO.
Last year, in October, Omnicom Group had consolidated its creative agencies in India- DDB, TBWA\ and BBDO- under Omnicom Advertising Services group and appointed the then India CEO of DDB Mudra- Aditya Kanthi to lead the consolidated group in the country, focusing on talent, cross agency collaboration, and innovation to drive growth in one of the agency’s fastest growing markets.
Effective from January 1, 2025, OAG will bring all of the group’s creative agency brands under one leadership to address clients’ needs for powerful creative solutions in a ‘never before’ fashion with each of the agencies retaining their unique brand, culture and people, while capitalising on the consolidated company’s shared and scaled investments in innovative tools, technologies, specialist capabilities, and AI platforms.
The existing clients of each of the group’s creative agencies will continue to be serviced by the respective agency and teams they currently work with, now with the enhanced capabilities of the wider group.
As per the agency, this foundation will not only enhance the respective creative agencies’ ability to deliver world-class creativity and accelerate growth, but also unlock greater opportunities for personal and professional growth for their talent.
The agency networks within OAG will report to Ruhanen and will be led by:
- Nancy Reyes, who was recently promoted to Global CEO of BBDO
- Alex Lubar, Global CEO of DDB
- Erin Riley, who is being elevated to CEO of TBWA\Worldwide from her previous role as TBWA\Chiat\Day US CEO
- James Fenton, CEO of the Advertising Collective
“OAG will make the best even better. One of the most exciting parts of this new division is that we can collectively invest in innovative offerings – such as Omnicom’s recent first-mover partnerships in GenAI,” said Ruhanen.
He added, “This will take our world-class creativity to the next level and keep our clients at the top of their industries. While we are excited to grow together, we will continue to celebrate and protect the uniqueness of each agency’s culture and entrepreneurship.”
Over the years, Omnicom has successfully organized its portfolio by aligning its agencies into marketing disciplines to strengthen the depth of its services and enhance collaboration across the group. This includes the formation of ‘world-class’ Practice Areas such as Omnicom Media Group (OMG), Omnicom Health Group (OHG), Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG) and Omnicom Public Relations Group (OPRG), all of which in their individual capacities benefit from scaled investment and experimentation as the marketing world transforms.
Commenting on the development, John Wren, Chairman and CEO, Omnicom, said, “Clients want best-in-class talent, innovation and seamless delivery of creative services around the globe. OAG will deliver on that promise while allowing our agency cultures to remain strong and evolve through shared investments and best practices. With Troy at the helm of this new division, I’m confident our creative agencies and all our incredibly talented minds will continue to set the bar for the industry.”
