ChatGPT-maker OpenAI taps Omnicom’s PHD as first global media agency amid broader consumer push
OpenAI appoints PHD as its first global media agency of record, signaling a major shift toward consumer marketing as AI competition intensifies.
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OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has appointed PHD, a unit of Omnicom Media Group, as its global media agency of record. The move marks the company’s first global media partnership as it steps up efforts to build a consumer-facing brand. The appointment of PHD positions the agency to oversee OpenAI’s media strategy and execution across global markets.
PHD will lead media planning and buying worldwide for OpenAI, which had previously handled media through a combination of in-house teams and project-based collaborations. The selection is a more formal and expansive approach to media investment as the artificial intelligence firm moves beyond enterprise tools and into broader consumer marketing.
The partnership follows PHD’s earlier work with OpenAI this year on a digital and social campaign positioning ChatGPT as a study companion for college students.
The agency appointment comes amid broader marketing efforts led by Kate Rouch, OpenAI’s first chief marketing officer, who joined in late 2024 from Coinbase. Rouch spearheaded OpenAI’s Super Bowl debut in February with a 60-second animated spot titled The Intelligence Age, developed in collaboration with Accenture Song.
In June, Rouch announced a temporary three-month medical leave following a breast cancer diagnosis. Gary Briggs, the former chief marketing officer of Meta, is currently serving as interim head of marketing.
Though OpenAI’s media spend remains modest, with COMvergence reporting less than $1 million spent in the U.S. in 2024, that figure is expected to grow. The company is investing more aggressively in brand-building as competition in the generative AI space intensifies.
OpenAI, meanwhile, has been courting closer relationships with agencies using its own AI tools - reportedly requesting upfront commitments for access to its technologies, as it seeks to broaden adoption and embed itself deeper in the advertising ecosystem.
OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch a new low-cost subscription tier for ChatGPT, titled ‘Go’, aimed at making premium chatbot services more accessible to a broader user base. This new plan is expected to be priced below the existing ChatGPT Plus, which currently costs $20 per month, while the Pro plan is priced at $200 per month.
The introduction of the ‘Go’ plan appears to be part of OpenAI’s strategy to expand its user base ahead of the much-anticipated launch of GPT-5, its most advanced large language model to date.
