Digital
Why OpenAI is hiring 100 ex-bankers: Inside the ChatGPT-maker's secret project to automate Wall Street's grunt work
Omnicom’s Troy Ruhanen defends retiring DDB, FCB & MullenLowe: ‘Relevance matters more than legacy’
In an interview with The Drum, Omnicom Advertising CEO said the decision to streamline global creative networks to BBDO, TBWA and McCann was driven by market relevance, client priorities and clarity of positioning, not heritage. The restructure comes as 4,000 layoffs roll out following the IPG acquisition.
Troy Ruhanen told The Drum that nostalgia was never part of the decision framework, emphasising that relevance to modern client needs took precedence over heritage.
Omnicom Advertising CEO Troy Ruhanen said the decision to consolidate the group’s creative networks to BBDO, TBWA and McCann became unavoidable once leadership examined where its agencies were strongest and most relevant to global clients. Speaking to The Drum on the day staff began learning the fate of their agencies and jobs, he said the rationalisation emerged quickly once the group compared Omnicom and IPG’s creative networks across major markets and client priorities.
According to Ruhanen, the evaluation focused on two core criteria: a meaningful presence in key markets and a sharply defined positioning that could scale globally. After examining agency performance and speaking to teams worldwide, he said it became clear which brands were best aligned with Omnicom’s future vision.
The three networks retired—DDB, FCB and MullenLowe, represent nearly 300 years of agency legacy and include recent high-profile creative success, such as DDB being named Cannes Lions Network of the Year 2025 and FCB New York topping the World Creative Rankings this year. However, Ruhanen told The Drum that nostalgia was never part of the decision framework, emphasising that relevance to modern client needs took precedence over heritage.
He noted that BBDO, TBWA and McCann offer the strongest strategic clarity: McCann’s long-held Truth Well Told platform, TBWA’s global Disruption philosophy, and BBDO’s renewed positioning around doing big impactful work. He acknowledged the emotional response within the industry and internally, but maintained that the restructure demanded discipline and clarity over historical identity.
Why the names were not preserved
Ruhanen said the toughest internal debate was whether to retain historic agency names in hybrid form, similar to mergers seen at other holding companies. He said he personally pushed to avoid name-blending to ensure absolute clarity for employees and clients, arguing that hybrid identities only breed confusion about leadership and philosophy.
Faster transitions and clients' concerns
Although Omnicom has communicated a mid-2026 timeline for full consolidation, Ruhanen told The Drum he intends to accelerate the shift, ideally from January 1, moving teams into shared spaces and encouraging behavioural alignment immediately. He stressed the importance of avoiding distraction and focusing attention on client business rather than internal identity debates.
In the interview, Ruhanen said Omnicom has been transparent with clients, who he said are primarily concerned about continuity of their account teams rather than branding or structure. While acknowledging unavoidable overlaps and senior-level duplication, he said the company aims to offer strong alternatives to affected staff and maintain trust around data sensitivity.
Boutique agencies remain critical
Despite consolidating major networks, Omnicom will maintain its boutique ecosystem under the Omnicom Advertising Collective. Ruhanen emphasised that smaller agencies such as Lucky Generals meet specific client needs not suited to global networks.
As staff across the combined organisation process the scale of change, Ruhanen told The Drum he believes the restructure positions Omnicom for a stronger future and sharper creative focus.
For the immediate term, he said the priority is simple: bring teams together and stay focused on clients.
“Two drunks leaning on a lamppost”: Sir Martin Sorrell on the Omnicom–IPG merger and the turbulence ahead
In a wide-ranging interview with Storyboard18, Sorrell delivers his frankest assessment yet of how the deal will redefine creativity, media, and talent across markets.