Author: Amanda Granath

he acquisition signals TBWA’s evolution into a brand experience company and a partner for brands beyond traditional advertising services

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — TBWA\Worldwide, part of Omnicom Group Inc. ( NYSE: OMC), today announced that it has acquired the business of innovation agency dotdotdash, adding deeper experience design and immersive technology capabilities to the top-ranked global creative collective.

Headquartered in Portland, dotdotdash specializes in building future-forward brand experiences at the intersection of culture and technology, with expertise in extending brand ideas into new spaces and places. With employees in Portland, Los Angeles, New York and other markets, dotdotdash has worked with clients including adidas, PepsiCo, The North Face, and TikTok to create immersive brand experiences and technology-driven creative solutions.

Over the past 18 months, TBWA and dotdotdash have successfully collaborated across a number of projects. More recently, TBWA has started to engage dotdotdash on key global brands, including adidas and McDonald’s. This acquisition cements the relationship between the two companies, while bringing a more flexible working model that helps TBWA tap a vast set of highly specialized skills for clients on an as-needed basis.

Commenting on the acquisition, Troy Ruhanen, CEO of TBWA\Worldwide said, “dotdotdash brings some of the very best and most imaginative experience design and creative tech capabilities to TBWA. By combining dotdotdash’s bleeding-edge capabilities with our own, we will accelerate our ability to deliver disruptive brand experiences and continue to pioneer our clients into new spaces.”

Luke Eid, Chief Innovation Officer, TBWA\Worldwide and the leader of TBWA’s innovation practice NEXT, added “dotdotdash sits right at the convergence of physical and digital⏤blending both to imagine new kinds of disruptive brand experiences. They have an equal love for the role of brands and disruptive ideas in creating distinctive experiences that break from the sea of sameness.”

Kyle Bañuelos, dotdotdash co-founder and CEO, will continue leading the company as Managing Director⏤alongside partners Billy Vinton, Executive Director, Operations and Adam Paikowsky, Executive Director, Technology⏤as it scales as a distinct offering within the TBWA collective. dotdotdash will also become part of TBWA’s innovation practice NEXT, which focuses on how shifts in culture, tech and human behaviors are shaping the future of brand experiences. dotdotdash’s strategy, experience design and creative tech capabilities will further enhance TBWA’s abilities to ideate and deliver inventive brand experiences, while TBWA will provide dotdotdash a platform to elevate and scale their capabilities, at a time when clients are looking for agencies that can bridge big-brand thinking rooted in commercial growth, with deep technical expertise that is tailored to emerging tech and consumer behaviors.

Operating as its own brand within the TBWA collective, dotdotdash will round out TBWA’s existing experience design centers of excellence, while working closely with LA-based content and production studio BeGrizzlee.

Bañuelos added, “As we collaborated with TBWA on various projects over the past year, it’s clear we share the same vision for where the industry is headed⏤creativity that influences product and services, experience design and new forms of communications. That alignment, along with the opportunity to fuel our future growth with the brand thinking and global reach of TBWA, was exciting, as is the opportunity to be the tip of the spear to NEXT. We’re already working together to help our shared clients get to the future faster and are looking forward to doing more incredible things across multiple business units and capabilities.”

Notably, dotdotdash has spearheaded global activations for The North Face and PepsiCo; was responsible for bringing Industrial Robotics to Broadway; and executed the first-ever XR stunt within College Football on behalf of Xbox’s Halo franchise.

Alongside its proven track record of developing groundbreaking work, dotdotdash will bring experience-driven perspective and maker talent to TBWA, with multidisciplinary staff joining the 10,000+ creative minds across the TBWA collective. Their unique backgrounds across the art, architecture and computer science landscape will add greater depth and reach to the company’s experience design capabilities.

About dotdotdash

dotdotdash is an innovation company building future-forward brand experiences at the intersection of culture x technology. A collective of curious rebels, we combine deep knowledge with realistic optimism to push tomorrow’s mediums to today’s culture on behalf of our partners. 

About TBWA\Worldwide

TBWA is The Disruption^® Company. We use creativity to help businesses challenge the status quo and capture an unfair share of the future. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, and Adweek‘s 2021 Global Agency of the Year, we are a disruptive brand experience company that uses trademarked Disruption^® methodologies to help businesses address their challenges and achieve transformative growth. Our collective has 10,000+ creative minds in 41 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald’s, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group ( NYSE: OMC)

Rhonda George-Denniston elevated to Chief Learning and Development Officer and Monica Torres to Executive Director, Global Recruiting

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — TBWA\Worldwide today announced the promotion of Rhonda George-Denniston to Chief Learning and Development Officer and Monica Torres to Executive Director, Global Recruiting.

Both are new roles for the company and signal TBWA’s commitment to attracting, growing and retaining the world’s best creative talent by offering an unparalleled employee experience that places a premium on learning, development and growth.

As Chief Learning and Development Officer, George-Dennison leads TBWA’s talent development strategy, ensuring key talent is retained and thriving throughout their careers. Focusing on a systematic and interactive learning approach, she will advocate for individual growth plans, while leading TBWA’s signature learning and development programs, which span the full career lifecycle from entry level to the C-suite.

Since joining TBWA in 2001, George-Dennison has risen the ranks at TBWA, bringing years of experience and knowledge to TBWA and the people across the collective. In the last year, to create greater access to learning and development, she spearheaded the launch of TBWA\U—the company’s open-access learning platform—which is open to all and enables anyone to take control of their own career journey.

“Rhonda’s mission is to help people be their best selves,” said Amie Miller, Chief Talent Officer, TBWA\Worldwide. “Her energy, entrepreneurialism and ability to truly listen and foster a deep sense of connection have been invaluable to the people of our collective always, but especially over the past two and a half years. She continues to innovate and to tirelessly advocate for our people. At a time when people want different things out of their work experience and have changing aspirations, having Rhonda at the helm is even more critical.”

“I’m immensely proud and humbled to be TBWA’s first Chief Learning and Development Officer,” added George. “Over the years we have meticulously crafted a portfolio of development initiatives for our people. Today, it’s a new frontier in preparing our pirates to be future-ready; it’s challenging, it’s exciting, and I’m looking forward to working with my team, our leadership team and members of our collective to continue the work of expanding growth opportunities for our people to be life-long learners, thriving personally and professionally at TBWA.”

Torres joined TBWA\Chiat\Day NY in 2017 to lead the agency’s recruitment efforts. She has been integral in leading the agency’s effort to make the recruitment processes more objective by conducting extensive interviewer training and changing the company’s interview process to reduce bias in hiring.

In her new global role, she will lead TBWA’s high priority global searches, support global client talent needs, and lead the agency’s strategy for global talent mobility, ensuring the best talent can grow in the collective by having access to open roles across markets, disciplines and geographies.

“Monica understands the dynamics of an agency, clients and brands, and what makes for highly effective and fulfilled teams,” added Miller. “One of her gifts is to look outside of the conventional path to find talent in a parallel but different industry who would thrive in our creative organization. She understands what motivates people, and her rigor, positivity and dedication is unparalleled. We’re thrilled she is now working across our collective.”

Earlier this year, TBWA’s proprietary Future of Creative Work research found that compared with the general employee benchmark, the industry’s creative talent are significantly less likely to be satisfied with their work/life balance (55%, compared to a 64% global benchmark), and more likely to feel burned out or discouraged. George-Denniston and Torres will work with Miller, along with the collective’s talent leads and executive leadership, to drive the company’s employee experience agenda to meet the needs of modern talent.

For more information about working with The Disruption® Company, please see some of our open positions on TBWA’s LinkedIn.

About TBWA Worldwide

TBWA is The Disruption® Company. We use creativity to help businesses challenge the status quo and capture an unfair share of the future. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019, AdAge’s 2022 Agency Network of the Year and Adweek’s Global Agency of the Year in 2021, we are a creative company that uses trademarked Disruption® methodologies to help businesses address their challenges and achieve transformative growth. Our collective has 10,000+ creative minds in 41 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald’s, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group ( NYSE: OMC).

About Omnicom Group Inc. 
Omnicom Group Inc. ( NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. 

SOURCE TBWA\Worldwide

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), an international, nonprofit membership organization for mental health professionals and provider of public resources, announced it has selected communications consultancy Ketchum as its agency of record (AOR) following a competitive pitch. The team from Ketchum’s Washington, D.C., marketplace will lead the account, and the remit includes enterprise communications, executive visibility, earned and paid social media and digital campaigns, corporate partnerships and event planning — including for the esteemed Anxiety & Depression Conference on April 13-16, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

“The Ketchum team is uniquely qualified to help our organization at this important time of growth and transition,” said Susan Gurley, executive director, ADAA. “Their professional experience — and passion — for our work is why we selected them as our partners. The creativity of their ideas and strategic approach will help us advance our mission to find new treatments and, one day, prevent and cure anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD and co-occurring disorders.”

As AOR, Ketchum will help to further establish ADAA’s mental health leadership and enlist more members, spokespeople and sponsors for the organization. The Ketchum team will work to identify key areas of need where ADAA can uniquely contribute to helping break mental health stigma and expand access to therapy and care. Through their multidisciplinary approach, the team will bring together clinicians and researchers with diverse backgrounds in medicine, psychology, social work, counseling, nursing, neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology and more.

“There is a tremendous public health need to better address today’s increasing mental health challenges,” said Michelle Baker, executive vice president, Health at Ketchum. “We are proud to have been chosen to partner with ADAA to help mental health professionals keep up with growing demand and evolving science and provide impactful resources for the public. Our team is dedicated to this work and to making a difference for patients, families and communities struggling with anxiety, depression and conditions including PTSD.”

About ADAA
Founded in 1979, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is an international nonprofit membership organization (with more than 1,500 international mental health professional members) and a leader in education, training, and research for anxiety, depression, and related disorders. More than 11 million people visit the ADAA website annually to find current treatment and research information and to access free resources and support. Visit www.adaa.org to learn more.

About Ketchum
The winner of 136 Cannes Lions, Ketchum is one of the most creatively awarded firms in our industry. We’re equal parts human-centered and business-focused, empathetic and intelligent. As a global communications consultancy, we combine the deep industry and specialty expertise of boutique firms with global reach to find unexpected connections that lead to lasting relationships and work that matters. For more information on Ketchum, a part of Omnicom Public Relations Group, visit www.ketchum.com.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, language strategy, global health strategy and change management. As the largest group of communications professionals in the world, our employees provide expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the Communications Consultancy Network, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. ( NYSE: OMC).

About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. ( NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.

SOURCE Ketchum Inc

Munk joins Tracy-Locke from VMLY&R Commerce to lead the agency’s strategic vision and further strengthen Compelling Commerce offerings

CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Curt Munk is joining Tracy-Locke, a leading commerce and communications agency, as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). This is the latest move in a set of strategic business decisions for the agency that started with the naming of Tina Manikas as President last June, followed by its expanded executive leadership board last September, and most recently, the agency’s ‘Compelling Commerce’ repositioning in August.

As CSO, Munk will lead strategy and CX planning teams across all global offices, focusing on creating Compelling Commerce strategies that inspire innovation and shape the future for Tracy-Locke’s clients.

“We’re at an exciting crossroad for Tracy-Locke as we start to culminate the strategic business decisions we’ve made this past year,” Manikas said. “As we continue to drive Tracy-Locke into its next era, I’m thrilled to welcome Curt Munk to our executive leadership board. After working together previously, I know his tireless push for innovation at every level and deep strategic commerce marketing knowledge will continue to shape our capabilities and focus on creative excellence and forward thinking – all with Compelling Commerce at the center.”

Munk’s creative approach to commerce is driven by his background in behavioral economics and strategic planning that applies human insights across cultural, social, technological, and economic arenas to guide consumers to buy. At Tracy-Locke, he will use his expertise connecting consumer behavior to Compelling Commerce solutions via sound strategy, new tools and capabilities that accelerate brand growth. His short-term priorities include developing deeper full-funnel commerce solutions for consumers and brands, helping the agency re-center on the principles of Compelling Commerce, and building a strategic culture of innovation.

“Our industry is at a turning point where the skills and knowledge that got us to commerce success in 2022 serve as an exciting foundation for the skills and capabilities that are now required for commerce success moving forward,” Munk said. “This is why the idea of Compelling Commerce drew me to Tracy-Locke as a refreshing vision with potential to make a real impact on the industry. I consider myself a passionate student of shopper behavior and appreciate Tracy-Locke’s roots in creativity that drives innovation.”

Before joining Tracy-Locke, Munk led the innovation and thought leadership practice at WPP’s VMLY&R COMMERCE with additional experience leading the strategic planning groups at several global agencies, including FCB Global, Epsilon (Ryan Partnership) and Saatchi & Saatchi X. His global commerce expertise includes shopper marketing, retail shop design, DTC and e-commerce, packaging, promotion, influencer marketing and merchandising solutions for many major brands, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé Purina, ABInbev, P&G, Walmart and SAMSUNG, among others.

About Tracy-Locke:

Tracy-Locke is an award-winning, global commerce and communications agency bringing an unmatched level of empathy, technology and creativity to design experiences that compel conversation and conversion, building brands at the speed and scale of commerce. A pillar of the Omnicom Commerce Group, Tracy-Locke offers full-service capabilities ranging from innovation to implementation. Clients include PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Diageo, Godiva, Pizza Hut, LEGO, and Samsung. For more information, visit www.tracylocke.com.

Omnicom Commerce Group 

Tracy-Locke is part of Omnicom Commerce Group (OCG), a global community of four award winning commerce agencies, working with brands and retailers to offer best in class consultancy, creativity and capability focused on driving increased conversion and transaction.  OCG’s priority is to address the need for innovative multi-channel commerce expertise in the rapidly evolving world of retail and shopping.  OCG encompasses Haygarth, The Integer Group, TPN and Tracy-Locke together employing 1800 people across 22 markets – for more information please visit www.omnicomcommercegroup.com. 

OCG is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. ( NYSE: OMC)  

SOURCE Tracy-Locke

Ad industry veteran joins DDB’s Global CEO Marty O’Halloran’s leadership team

NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — DDB Worldwide has named Alex Lubar Global President & Chief Operating Officer. This appointment is a strategic move to further strengthen DDB’s global leadership team under Global CEO, Marty O’Halloran.

Lubar joins DDB Worldwide with extensive global leadership credentials. Currently President, McCann North America, Lubar joined McCann in 2012 and held several regional leadership roles during the course of his tenure there. Before taking on his role at the helm of the North America region, Lubar led the Asia Pacific region, and was also the CEO of McCann London. Prior to that he served as global chief marketing officer and held leadership roles with agencies including Grey and BBH.

Said O’Halloran: “My vision is to continue to hire the best talent in the industry and drive DDB Worldwide’s growth. Alex embodies DDB’s values and passion for unexpected creativity as the accelerant for client and agency growth. I am absolutely delighted he will be joining our team to fuel our current strategic plan globally. He shares our belief that creativity and emotion are the drivers of long term, sustainable growth and I am excited to add him on to my DDB Worldwide leadership team.”

Said Lubar: “DDB is such an iconic agency with an astounding creative legacy. I am honored to work with Marty and his global leadership team to continue to take DDB and the network’s clients to new levels of growth and fame.”

O’Halloran will continue elevating DDB WW’s plan to deliver an exceptional creative product through best-in-class talent and modern tools and capabilities, all through the lens of DDB’s philosophy that Unexpected Works. “Our ambition is to be the best creative agency in the world. Alex will further strengthen my global leadership team and help us reach higher levels of organic and net new growth, while also continuing to put creativity at the center of all that we do,” said O’Halloran.

Lubar will join DDB Worldwide in the network’s NYC Headquarters in mid-October of this year.

ABOUT DDB WORLDWIDE
DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the world’s largest and most influential advertising and marketing networks. DDB has been named Agency Network of the Year 2022 Effies US, Asia Pacific Network of the Year 2022 Spikes Asia, #3 Global Network in 2022 by the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, Network of the Year by D&AD in 2022 and 2021, Network of the Year ADC in 2021, Network of the Year 2021 Effies Latin America, Network of the Year 2021 El Ojo, as well as numerous accolades from the industry’s leading advertising publications and awards shows. WARC has listed DDB as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 12 of the last 15 years. The network’s clients include Molson Coors, Volkswagen, McDonald’s, Unilever, Mars, Peloton, JetBlue, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Army, among others. Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group ( NYSE: OMC) and consists of over 10,000 employees across 149 offices in over 63 countries, with its flagship office in New York, NY.  

ABOUT OMNICOM
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE – OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. 

CONTACT: Donna Tobin, Global Chief Marketing & Communications Officer; [email protected]

SOURCE DDB Worldwide

Co-Founder of legendary South African agency TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris to be recognized for a career of world-class creative excellence and contributions to society

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — John Hunt, Global Creative Chair at TBWA\Worldwide, co-founder of the internationally recognized South African agency TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, and award-winning author and playwright, will be inducted into The One Club for Creativity’s Creative Hall of Fame on October 27th in New York.

The Creative Hall of Fame has a rich heritage of honoring the lifetime achievements of creative luminaries in all forms of advertising and design, beginning with the induction of Leo Burnett in 1961 and TBWA\Media Arts Lab’s Lee Clow in 1997. Hunt’s fellow inductees in the class of 2022 are Nancy Vonk, Janet Kestin, Carol H. Williams, Joe Duffy and Cheryl D. Miller. The black-tie Creative Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which is a fundraising gala to support The One Club’s many global DE&I programs, will take place at Tisch Skylights at The Shed, Hudson Yards in New York.

“John Hunt is most deserving of this honor,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. “He has been a champion of creativity for Africa and has used creativity to build iconic brands while advancing democracy, human rights, and human welfare. He is the very definition of a creative giant. John joins a group of inductees who have influenced culture, uplifted underrepresented groups, and inspired the next generation of creative thinkers and doers. We are honored to celebrate him alongside our other inductees in October.”

In 1983, Hunt and his partner Reg Lascaris founded Hunt\Lascaris, with the ambition to be the first world-class agency out of Africa. With the mantra “Life’s too short to be mediocre,” they created bold and breakthrough work that could only be from Africa, but routinely gained worldwide attention and recognition. Clients included BMW, Nando’s, South African Airways, and The Zimbabwean’s “Trillion Dollar Campaign,” which raised awareness of the newspaper and the corruption within the Mugabe regime around the world, and became the most awarded campaign of all time, after sweeping the awards at The One Show, Cannes Lions, The Clio Awards, ADC and D&AD.

Shortly after its founding, Hunt\Lascaris sought an international partner to accelerate its growth. TBWA was the ideal match, with its high creative standards, entrepreneurial spirit and founder culture, and a decades long partnership was born.

The agency has continued to create bold, award-winning work, including “Breaking Ballet” for the Joburg Ballet, which brought the art form to an entirely new generation of fans, and earned a Gold Lion and South Africa’s first-ever Data Lion at Cannes; and “Blame No More” which won five Cannes Lions in 2020, including a Gold and South Africa’s first-ever Glass Lion.

Proof that advertising can make the world a better place, Hunt was intimately involved in Nelson Mandela’s first ANC election campaign in 1993. Although harrowing at the time, this unique moment in history ushered South Africa into the light of democracy. He was also involved in creating iconic work for the First HIV AIDS campaign in South Africa. TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris was named Agency of the Century in 2000, and Agency of the Decade in 2010, the same year that work for The Zimbabwean Newspaper gained worldwide recognition.

“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from The One Show,” said Hunt. “In truth, though, it’s a team award. It belongs just as much to all the co-workers, clients and organizations I’ve worked with over the years. Ultimately, it’s their trust that turned seemingly impossible ideas into reality.  No doubt, creativity can make the world a better place. But it’s so much more powerful when played as a team sport.”

Troy Ruhanen, CEO, TBWA\Worldwide, added, “I have such tremendous respect for John, not just for what he has achieved, but more importantly, how he has gone about it. He inspires us, continues to be our creative north star, and has given so much to our company, industry and society. John’s integrity, generosity and talent are matched only by his enormous heart. We are immensely proud to see him join the Creative Hall of Fame.”

In 2003, Hunt moved to TBWA’s New York headquarters to assume the role of Worldwide Creative Director, becoming a creative compass for the agency collective, helping to reshape the TBWA collective to think less about ads and more about ideas. Upon arriving in New York, Hunt founded the TBWA Young Bloods creative residency program, and a year later began the “SWAT” initiative, a program that ensures a global answer to the creative questions often asked by worldwide clients. In 2021, TBWA re-introduced the Young Bloods program with a focus on promising talent from historically underrepresented groups. Hunt returned to South Africa in 2006 to continue his Worldwide role from Johannesburg.

In 1996 he was inducted into the South African Advertising Hall of Fame and, a year later, received the Financial Mail’s Long Term Achievement Award. Hunt has served as juror across every major industry awards show, including as President of the Cannes Film, Press & Outdoor Advertising Festival in 2005. He has also found time to write a number of television and theatre plays and books. He was named South African Playwright of the Year for Vid Alex, a play that condemned censorship during the apartheid years, and has also published a book, The Art of the Idea: And How It Can Change Your Life.

About TBWA\Worldwide
TBWA is The Disruption® Company. We use creativity to help businesses challenge the status quo and capture an unfair share of the future. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2021, 2020 and 2019, and Adweek’s 2021 and 2018 Global Agency of the Year, we are a creative company that uses trademarked Disruption® methodologies to help businesses address their challenges and achieve transformative growth. Our collective has 10,000+ creative minds in 41 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, The Integer Group®, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald’s, Nissan and Singapore Airlines.  Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group.

Contacts: Anaka Kobzev, Global Head of Communications, TBWA, +1-917-362-5845, [email protected]; Mary Gearing, Deputy Managing Director, Magna Carta, +27 (0) 11 784 2598, [email protected]

SOURCE TBWA\Worldwide

Agency introduces compelling commerce as strategic vision and focuses on its people as cofounders of the agency’s future

DALLAS, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Tracy-Locke, leading commerce and communications agency, is introducing a new brand identity centered around the belief that there is no commerce problem in the world creativity cannot solve. This comes on the heels of two gold and one silver Effie awards in the Omnichannel Shopper Solution and Multi-Retailer Shopper Solution categories, solidifying Tracy-Locke’s track record of creative innovation that uniquely positions the agency to deliver compelling commerce to the marketplace.

As part of its people-first rebrand, the agency is reintroducing the hyphen to its name as a symbol of its people, who are all co-founders of the agency’s future. The small-but-mighty hyphen represents the agency’s integrated yet independent approach that fosters a creative work environment where everyone has a voice and seat at the table.

“Our people are the driving force that bring business and creative ideas together in ways that resonate for our clients and the consumers they’re trying to attract,” said Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Tracy-Locke. “They are dreamers, planners, artists and data gurus who keep our agency ahead of the commerce curve.”

From the very beginning, Tracy-Locke’s cofounders Shelley Tracy and Raymond Locke believed they were better together, joining forces to create The Original Commerce Agency – one that merged Tracy’s background as a grocery merchant and Locke’s expertise as a creative advertiser. This spirit of diverse and dynamic collaboration holds true today and drives what Tracy-Locke believes is the future of the industry – compelling commerce.  

The idea of compelling commerce carries two meanings for Tracy-Locke: 1) Compelling the industry forward through innovation, and 2) Creating compelling work that drives people to buy into brands and buy products. This is seen through the end-to-end approach Tracy-Locke takes in supporting clients from innovation to implementation.

With a new portfolio of services, the agency is delivering more value to brands through culturally relevant campaigns that hook human interest and connect with diverse and niche audience segments. Inclusive commerce is one of the agency’s latest strategic offerings, seen in the “Full of Detroit Soul” campaign for Pepsi that strengthened the brand’s connection with the city through local artists and support of Black-owned businesses. The campaign received a gold Effie for Omnichannel Shopper Solution, a category in which Tracy-Locke also earned a silver Effie for their work on the Ziploc “Functional Fashion” program.

Creative excellence and forward thinking have been driving the agency’s strategic growth since before the official rebrand, starting with the naming of Tina Manikas as President last June, followed by the agency’s expanded executive leadership board.

“When we expanded our executive leadership board last year, our focus was on four key pillars: driving strategic innovation, compelling creative excellence, expanding client partnerships and unifying talent-building programs,” said Michael Lovegrove, Chief Executive Officer. “As we rebrand, we’re placing an even more intentional focus on these pillars as we take care of our people, our clients and shape the future of commerce marketing.”

About Tracy-Locke:
Tracy-Locke is an award-winning global commerce and communications agency that is compelling the future of commerce by designing experiences that build brands and drive conversion through empathy, technology and an unmatched level of creativity. A pillar of the Omnicom Commerce Group, Tracy-Locke offers full-service capabilities ranging from innovation to implementation. Clients include PepsiCo, SC Johnson, Kellogg’s, Diageo, Godiva, Pizza Hut, LEGO, and Samsung. For more information, visit www.tracylocke.com.

About Omnicom Commerce Group:
Omnicom Commerce Group (OCG) is a global community of four award-winning commerce agencies, working with brands and retailers to offer best in class consultancy, creativity and capability focused on driving increased conversion and transaction. OCG’s priority is to address the need for innovative multi-channel commerce expertise in the rapidly evolving world of retail and shopping. OCG encompasses 1,800 people across 23 markets – for more information please visit www.omnicomcommercegroup.com. OCG is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) 

SOURCE Tracy-Locke

NEW YORK, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Leading communications consultancy Ketchum today announced the appointment of Jim Joseph to global chief marketing and integration officer, the first in the company’s history. Joseph will collaborate with teams worldwide, drawing on his extensive experience leading global client and agency brands to help shepherd and define the Ketchum brand as both trusted counselor to clients and prospective clients and destination of choice for current and future colleagues. In addition to leading global marketing and communications, Joseph will partner with his colleagues from across Omnicom Public Relations Group and the entire Omnicom network to unleash creative solutions for clients and to drive thought leadership for Ketchum. He joins the company from IPG Health, where he served as chief customer solutions officer.

“Jim is a world-class leader and counselor, and an all-around exceptional human being,” said Mike Doyle, Ketchum president and CEO. “The deep experience he brings in client relationship building, agency leadership and expertise in so many of our consultancy’s growth categories is clear. And importantly, his values and commitment to people, relationships and inclusion are aligned with Ketchum’s.”

Joseph has experience leading virtually every discipline within the marketing mix. Prior to his role at IPH Health, Joseph spent eight years at BCW, starting out at Cohn & Wolfe in a variety of global roles and then as a BCW global president, where he was instrumental in the successful merger of Burson Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe. Joseph also has extensive experience leading smaller specialty agencies and began his career client-side with brand management stints at Church and Dwight, Co. (Arm & Hammer) and Johnson & Johnson.

Chris Foster, CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group, said of the appointment, “I’ve known Jim for years, and he is one of the best in the business. I’m looking forward to seeing him thrive at Ketchum and to working with him on programs across Omnicom Public Relations Group and Omnicom.”

“Having been an integrated marketer from the very beginning of my career, I am inspired by both the legacy and future potential of Ketchum and quite simply, want to be a part of it and help to shape it,” commented Joseph. “The agency’s future matches my own goals, but it’s the Ketchum culture, spirit, and values that made me come running to the door.”  

Agency of the Year, Global Agency of the Year, Most Awarded Agency and Network of the Year, and Creative Agency of the Year are just a few of the accolades won under Joseph’s past agency leadership. In his “spare time,” Jim is training the next generation of marketing and public relations professionals in his role as adjunct professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies and has been an avid blogger and author since 2009, receiving honors from the Nonfiction Authors Association, Axiom Book Awards and Reader Views for his most recent book, The Conscious Marketer: Inspiring a Deeper and More Conscious Brand Experience, which explores the need for brands to be aware of socio-political, public health, and cultural issues as consumer mindsets and behaviors evolve.

About Ketchum
The winner of 135 Cannes Lions, Ketchum is the most creatively awarded firm in our industry. We’re equal parts human-centered and business-focused, empathetic and intelligent. As a global communications consultancy, we combine the deep industry and specialty expertise of boutique firms with global reach to find unexpected connections that lead to lasting relationships and work that matters. For more information on Ketchum, a part of Omnicom Public Relations Group, visit www.ketchum.com.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, language strategy, global health strategy and change management. As the largest group of communications professionals in the world, our employees provide expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the Communications Consultancy Network, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).

About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.

SOURCE Ketchum Inc

OMG named a “Leader” among global media agency groups

NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In a new analysis of global media agency groups from leading research and advisory firm Forrester, Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) received the highest possible scores in the retail media, commerce media, intelligence and insights, and optimization criteria; as well as in the operations and innovation roadmap criteria.  

The Forrester Wave™: Global Media Management Services analyzes the seven most significant global media management service providers against a 19-criterion evaluation across three categories: current offering, strategy, and market presence. Designed to help CMO professionals select the right provider for their needs, the report assesses the media groups under four designations: Leaders, Strong Performers, Contenders, and Challengers.   

With the highest possible scores in six criteria, and with the highest score in the current offering category, Omnicom Media Group was one of only two providers among the seven evaluated to earn designation as a “Leader” in the report. 

Describing OMG as “a good fit for advertisers that require bespoke, technology-literate, global media teams” the report also noted that “… the agency scales consumer empathy and understanding into quantifiable attention metrics against which advertisers can plan, buy, and measure.  To achieve this vision, the company deploys its Omni audience planning portal to power better audience, client, and employee experiences.”

The report also states that “OMG’s strength lies in initiatives to innovate its Omni portal, such as customized client workflow integrations, audience data integrations; marketing automation partnerships with Google; and efforts to unite media, e-commerce, and shopper tactics.”

This finding is borne out by a steady drumbeat of  first-mover product and partnership  announcements from OMG in 2022, including a multi-year agreement with Affinity Solutions to integrate retailer purchase transactions into Omni; an enterprise-wide  partnership with Firework, the world’s largest livestream commerce and shoppable video platform, to  deliver livestream shopping solutions directly to Omnicom clients’ websites; the industry’s first programmatic marketplace for point-of-purchase screens; and the Supply Chain IQ Score, which gives media planners day-to-day visibility into SKU inventory data at the physical store, digital shelf, and inventory-in-transit levels, enabling media investment to be shifted away from low inventory products in real time.

Most recently, OMG dominated the news cycle at last month’s  Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, announcing a series of first mover strategic partnerships with retail media networks including Walmart Connect,  Instacart, and Kroger Precision Marketing. 

“As the only agency group to have earned the highest possible score in all three of the criteria that we believe best represent the future of media investment and management – retail media, commerce media, and intelligence & insights – and as a group that also received the highest possible scores in two criteria that we think are critical differentiators in selecting an agency partner –operations and innovation road map – OMG is clearly a leader in today’s marketplace,” says OMG CEO Florian Adamski. “More importantly, as we continue to expand our capabilities and automate our infrastructure, and to build new products and partnerships, we are assuring that we and our clients will remain leaders –   today, tomorrow and beyond.”

Receiving Forrester’s  designation as a “Leader” is the latest good news for OMG, which last month  saw its largest agency, OMD Worldwide, take Media Network of the Year honors at the Cannes Lions festival; while PHD was awarded the $500 million  Restaurant Brands International (RBI) business, which includes the  Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Horton’s chains.About Omnicom Media Group

Omnicom Media Group (OMG) is the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company, providing services to more than 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. Omnicom Media Group  includes full- service media agencies OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science as well as the Annalect data and analytics division that develops and manages Omni, the open operating system that orchestrates better outcomes for clients across all Omnicom agencies.

SOURCE OMD

OMG’s OMD Worldwide Named Media Network of the Year

NEW YORK, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — With a combination of accolades and headline-making announcements, Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) was a dominant presence at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

On the accolades front, OMG agencies earned a total of 39 Lions and its OMD agency, the largest global media network by billings, was named Media Network of the Year. This marks the second consecutive year that an OMG agency took the Network of the Year title, which was awarded to PHD in 2021. 

Concurrent with its performance in the competition, OMG earned headlines each day of the festival, announcing a series of first-mover collaborations with retail media networks, as well as the global expansion of its TRKKNanalytics and ad consultancy that is one of the largest Google Marketing Platform (GMP) partners in Europe.

OMG’s Lions’ Share
The 39 Lions earned by OMG agencies – 7 Gold, 13 Silver and 19 Bronze – encompassed work from APAC, EMEA, North America and LATAM, spanning the automotive, CPG, Beverage Technology and Travel sectors; and including competition categories that reflect a wide range of both established and emerging priorities for clients – from data-driven targeting and insights to integrated media to corporate purpose and responsibility.

A strong global footprint was also evident in OMD’s Media Network of the Year award, with work from Portugal, France and Australia helping fuel the agency’s win.

“Being named Media Network of the Year is especially meaningful coming at a time when brands are re-evaluating their business, marketing and technology operations to better address new realities – both economic and cultural,” said George Manas, CEO, OMD Worldwide. “They need a trusted partner in transformation – and this recognition helps confirm that OMD is that partner.”

Taking the Lead in Connected Commerce
During the Cannes festival OMG announced four first-mover strategic partnerships with retail media networks, beginning Monday, June 20, with Walmart Connect announcing their first-ever agency holding company partnership with Omnicom. The agreement will enable cross-screen planning against Walmart audiences in Omni – Omnicom’s open operating system which orchestrates better outcomes for clients across the entire consumer purchasing journey – allowing Omnicom’s agencies to deliver connected experiences across media and commerce platforms with-in owned, earned, and paid environments.

Over the next three days, OMG also revealed details of its partnership with Instacart, that will help Omnicom clients better understand how media spend drives purchase of products on that platform; how Amazon is supporting OMG’s eCommerce training and certification programs; and its collaboration with Kroger Precision Marketing that will allow planners to optimize in-market retail media, utilizing shopper behavior data to shift spend based on product availability, and still have the flexibility to optimize media while maintaining national consumer demand.

Describing the collective impact of the announcements, Omnicom eCommerce CEO Frank Kochenash said, “With each collaboration, we are adding another layer of unique capabilities to a connected commerce offering that encompasses the totality of client investment across all media channels, screens and environments.”

A Global Expansion for the Cookieless World
OMG wrapped the industry’s most global of events with news of a global expansion, announcing on the last day of the festival that it is expanding TRKKN- its digital analytics ad technology and cloud consultancy that is one of the largest Google Marketing Platform sales partners across the European market – to APAC, the Middle East and North America. The expansion will assure global best practices that enable GMP & GCP efficiency and effectiveness, while also giving OMG greater flexibility to help in-housed media operations manage their Google marketing and cloud stacks to drive better business results in the cookieless future.

Summing up the desired takeaway from OMG’s high profile throughout Cannes 2022, OMG global CEO Florian Adamski says, “People were coming to Cannes this year looking for more than the big parties – they wanted big ideas and big actions that will help them solve the big challenges that we as an industry are all facing: privacy, connected commerce, measurement, the cookieless future, talent. Through the work we submitted, the partnerships we announced, the capabilities we’re expanding, and the close to 20 thought-leader forums we hosted over the week with clients and partners, I think the net takeaway for marketers is obvious: OMG is meeting these challenges- and we can help you meet them, too.”

About Omnicom Media Group
Omnicom Media Group (OMG) is the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company, providing services to more than 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries. Omnicom Media Group  includes full- service media agencies OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science as well as the Annalect data and analytics division that developed and manages Omni, the open architecture operating system underpinning all Omnicom agencies.

SOURCE Omnicom Media Group