Omnicom Announces Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG) to Shape Tomorrow’s Creative Landscape

On August 27, 2024, Omnicom announced the creation of the Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), a new global entity that unites its world-class creative networks BBDO, DDB, and TBWA, along with leading agencies from the Advertising Collective, including Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners, and Zimmerman. OAG will be led by Troy Ruhanen as Global CEO, Deepthi Prakash as Chief Operating Officer, and Denis Streiff as Global CFO.

By bringing these agency brands under a single leadership, OAG aims to address clients’ needs for powerful creative solutions like never before. Each agency will maintain its distinct brand, culture, and team while leveraging OAG’s shared investments in innovative tools, technologies, specialist capabilities, and AI platforms. This structure will enhance the agencies’ ability to deliver exceptional creativity, accelerate growth, and provide greater opportunities for personal and professional development for their talent.

The agency networks within OAG will report to Ruhanen and will be led by:

• Nancy Reyes, recently promoted to Global CEO of BBDO
• Alex Lubar, Global CEO of DDB
• Erin Riley, elevated to CEO of TBWA\Worldwide from her previous role as CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day US
• James Fenton, CEO of the Advertising Collective

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“OAG will make the best even better,” said Ruhanen. “One of the most exciting aspects of this new division is our ability to collectively invest in innovative offerings, such as Omnicom’s recent first-mover partnerships in GenAI. This will elevate our world-class creativity and ensure our clients remain leaders in their industries. While we look forward to growing together, we will continue to celebrate and preserve each agency’s unique culture and entrepreneurial spirit.”

Omnicom has a history of organizing its portfolio into marketing disciplines to strengthen service depth and foster collaboration. 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). Each area now benefits from scaled investments and experimentation as the marketing landscape evolves.

John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom, stated, “Clients seek best-in-class talent, innovation, and seamless delivery of creative services globally. OAG will fulfill this promise while allowing our agency cultures to remain strong and evolve through shared investments and best practices. With Troy leading this new division, I’m confident our creative agencies and talented teams will continue to set the industry standard.”

Existing clients will continue to be served by their current agencies and teams, now enhanced by the expanded capabilities of the new group. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2025.