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Omnicom addresses DDB retirement rumours, says review underway
Following reports that DDB may be phased out as part of the Omnicom–IPG merger, the holdco has responded, emphasizing that discussions on brand structure are still ongoing and no final decisions have been made.
In North America, DDB had already undergone restructuring.
Omnicom has addressed industry rumours suggesting it may retire the DDB brand as it moves closer to finalizing its $13.5 billion merger with Interpublic Group (IPG). The holding company said it is still reviewing its brand architecture and that no final decisions have been made, following reports that one of its most iconic creative networks, DDB, could be phased out.
The holding company issued a statement stressing that it is still navigating regulatory approvals and that both entities continue to operate independently.
In a statement to Adweek, Omnicom said that it is “undertaking a rigorous and considered process to ensure we have the very best solutions for the future for us and for our clients.”
“As regulatory approvals are still pending and until the transaction is closed, we are still operating as two independent companies. However, we can share that, as it relates to our brands, we are undertaking a rigorous and considered process to ensure we have the very best solutions for the future for us and for our clients.
This sentiment is informing everything we do in our go-forward plans. Once they are finalized and ready to be shared, communicating them to our clients and our people will be our priority. We will then make that information available publicly. We look forward to the close of our transaction and to moving forward as a combined company,” it was reportedly said.
The speculation sent ripples across the advertising industry. Founded in 1949 by Bill Bernbach, James Edwin Doyle, and Maxwell Dane, DDB has long been synonymous with creative excellence, most recently earning the title of Network of the Year at the Cannes Lions Festival. Its potential retirement would mark the end of an era for one of Omnicom’s crown jewels.
The statement indicates that Omnicom is reviewing its agency portfolio as part of merger integration planning but leaves room for multiple outcomes, including the possible retention or restructuring of DDB.
Earlier this year, Troy Ruhanen, CEO of DDB Worldwide, had told media that Omnicom was “not backing away from creative agency brands,” and that “healthy sibling rivalry” among BBDO, DDB, and TBWA remained a strength of the network.
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