OMD Worldwide (originally an initialism for Optimum Media Direction) is a media communications agency.[1][2] It is a subsidiary of Omnicom Group and an Omnicom Media Group agency considered the holding company's "media specialist brand".[3] Omnicom Media Group is the media services division of Omnicom Group.[4][5] OMD is headquartered in New York City and its chief executive officer is George Manas.[6][7][8]

OMD
Company typeSubsidiary of Omnicom Media Group
IndustryAdvertising, Marketing
FoundedOctober 1996; 28 years ago (1996-10) in Paris, France
Headquarters,
Number of locations
Over 140 offices in 80 countries
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
George Manas, CEO
ServicesMedia Planning, Communications
Websitewww.omd.com

History

edit

The agency network was formed in Paris in October 1996 as Optimum Media Direction. It combined the European media operations of Omnicom's ad agencies DDB Needham and BBDO that were then known as Optimum Media and Media Direction, respectively.[9][10] The establishment of OMD was seen as Omnicom's first step towards leaving a media-buying joint venture with WPP called The Media Partnership.[11][12]

DDB Needham introduced the Optimum Media name for its media buying activities in the United States, Latin America and Asia-Pacific in conjunction with the launch of OMD in Europe, but didn't consolidate them with other parts of Omnicom at the time.[13]

In 2000, DDB's, BBDO's and TBWA\Chiat\Day's US media operations were also combined under the OMD name.[14] In 2002, the company put together "the biggest single media deal in history" with a $1 billion cross-media pact between The Walt Disney Company and the American Broadcasting Company.[15]

The company has introduced various units for its clients such as OMD Create, a creative department, OMD Design, an end-to-end planning process, and Omni, an integrated marketing operating system.[16][17][18]

In September 2017, OMD announced that Florian Adamski would be the company's next chief executive officer and John Osborn, of BBDO New York, would be its U.S. CEO. The company also established "Better Decisions, Faster" as its promise.[1] OMD led the "2019 New Business Barometer" for global media networks according to COMvergence, an international independent research company, and was the top-ranked media agency in total billings for 2019.[3]

On September 20, 2021, Mercedes-Benz announced its consolidation of global media, brand and performance marketing into one holding company, Omnicom Group.[19][20][21][22] To service the client, Omnicom created Team X, a dedicated unit that would handle all facets of the brand's global communications, including creative, CRM, media, digital and more across all 45 markets. As part of the process, Omnicom was acquiring two agencies, antoni, a Berlin-based, digital shop and OSK, a German PR and communications agency.[23][24][25]

In November 2021, George Manas was named CEO of OMD as Adamski moved to Omnicom Media Group.[26]

Recognition

edit

OMD has received the Adweek "Global Media Agency of the Year" Award in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2020.[5][27][28][29][30] Ad Age, a United States–based magazine, recognized OMD with its "Media Agency of the Year" in 2002, 2005, 2009 and 2011.[8][31]

Subsidiaries

edit
  • OMD NA
  • OMD LATAM
  • OMD EMEA
  • OMD APAC

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Coffee, Patrick (24 February 2019). "How Global Media Agency of the Year OMD Clawed Its Way Back to the Top After Falling So Far". Adweek.
  2. ^ Graham, Megan (26 June 2018). "Why OMD Is Shifting Its Innovation 'Factory' Model". Ad Age.
  3. ^ a b "OMD Had Best 2019 New Business Record Among Global Media Agencies". PR Newswire. 23 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Omnicom Group" (PDF). AdAge.
  5. ^ a b Oster, Erik (23 February 2020). "Global Media Agency of the Year OMD Turned a Comeback Into a Formula for Repeatable Success". Adweek.
  6. ^ "OMD retains top global media agency title for 2019". Campaign.
  7. ^ O'Leary, Noreen (8 February 2015). "Global Media Agency of the Year: How OMD Became the One to Beat in 2014". Adweek.
  8. ^ a b Alexandra Bruell (January 23, 2012). "OMD Is Ad Age's Media Agency of the Year". Advertising Age.
  9. ^ "Omnicom Forms European Media Unit". The New York Times. 18 October 1996.
  10. ^ "BMP media arm to set up as dependant operation". Marketing Week. 18 October 1996.
  11. ^ "NEWS: Omnicom rejigs Euro media arm". Campaign. 18 October 1996.
  12. ^ "DDB, BBDO TO COMBINE EUROPEAN MEDIA GROUPS;NEEDHAM UNIT IN U.S. UNVEILS NEW NAME, TV TOOLS". Advertising Age. 14 October 1996.
  13. ^ "DDB Needham Renames Media Group". The New York Times. 17 October 1996.
  14. ^ "Omnicom Makes Its Media Move". Adweek. 28 February 2000.
  15. ^ Bloom, Jonah (3 March 2003). "OMD Used to be Omnicom's Weak Link, Not Anymore". Ad Age.
  16. ^ McAteer, Oliver (18 June 2019). "'Evolve or die': Q&A with OMD WW CEO Florian Adamski". Campaign.
  17. ^ McClellan, Steve (17 January 2010). "Global Media Agency of the Year: OMD". Adweek.
  18. ^ Liesse, Julie (30 April 2012). "What Matters Now" (PDF). Ad Age.
  19. ^ Mercedes-Benz is sustainably consolidating its agency landscape, and awarding the international mandate for marketing communication to Omnicom Group
  20. ^ Mercedes-Benz sustainably consolidating its agency landscape
  21. ^ Florian Adamski, OMD WW CEO, on how Omnicom won Mercedes-Benz
  22. ^ "How Omnicom won Mercedes: 'holistic marketing' and buying two agencies". Archived from the original on 2022-02-05.
  23. ^ "Mercedes-Benz Consolidates Its Global Marketing Entirely With Omnicom Group". Archived from the original on 2022-02-05.
  24. ^ "Omnicom wins global Mercedes-Benz account - The holding company beats Publicis Groupe for the luxury automaker's combined media and creative business". Archived from the original on 2021-09-21.
  25. ^ "Mercedes-Benz Consolidates Its Global Marketing Entirely With Omnicom Group - Holding company creates Team X to handle the business, including creative, media, CRM and digital". Archived from the original on 2021-09-20.
  26. ^ Morley, Olivia (2021-11-29). "What's Next for Omnicom's Media Agencies?". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  27. ^ McClellan, Steve (27 February 2006). "OMD Worldwide". Adweek.
  28. ^ McClellan, Steve (9 February 2009). "OMD: Global Media AOY 2008". Adweek.
  29. ^ Feola, Katie (23 January 2012). "Media Agency of the Year: Global, OMD". Adweek.
  30. ^ "OMD Named Global Media Agency of the Year 2019 by Adweek" (Press release).
  31. ^ "OMD Has Been Selected the Global Media Agency of the Year". Adweek. February 9, 2014.