Ad Agency

The big just got even bigger (but not better)

As I write this, Omnicom has confirmed that it plans to buy IPG for around $14 billion. If completed, it would create the world's largest advertising holding company. The industry headlines make it sound inevitable. Scale is everything. Except... is it?  By Amar Chohan - Founder - Department of Creative Affairs.

Alex Lopez Negrete to be inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Fame of 2025

The American Advertising Federation (AAF), "The Unifying Voice for Advertising," announced that Alex Lopez Negrete will be inducted into its 2025 Advertising Hall of Fame.

Roberto Alcazar to head Horizon Media new entity One Horizon

Horizon Media unveiled One Horizon, a full-service, general-market advertising agency. This new agency underscores Horizon Media's evolving vision and commitment to offering sophisticated, integrated solutions that harness the power of technology, data, and creativity to forge more meaningful consumer-brand connections. Building on a robust year-over-year growth of 35% across content services within Horizon enterprise, One Horizon positions the agency as a critical player in reshaping how marketing, media, and creative services converge to meet the complex demands of modern brands.

Omnicom to Acquire Interpublic Group to Create Premier Marketing and Sales Company

Omnicom and The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. announced their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement pursuant to which Omnicom will acquire Interpublic in a stock-for-stock transaction. The combined company will bring together the industry’s deepest bench of marketing talent, and the broadest and most innovative services and products, driven by the most advanced sales and marketing platform. Together, the companies will expand their capacity to create comprehensive full-funnel solutions that deliver better outcomes for the world’s most sophisticated clients.

Media Innovation to Propel the Global Ad Market Towards the Trillion Mark

The winter update of MAGNA’s “Global Ad Forecast” reveals that media owners’ net advertising revenues (NAR) reached $933 billion in 2024, growing +10.3% over 2023. This is in line with MAGNA’s mid-year prediction (+10.0%) and a significant acceleration on the global growth recorded in 2023 (+6.4%). +10.3% is the strongest growth rate observed by MAGNA in 25 years (excluding the post-COVID surge in 2021 of +23%).

The Long Tail of the Advertising Business

To remain relevant — and profitable — agencies must regularly reevaluate their offerings to ensure they are optimizing the dynamics of the long tail of the advertising business.

Marketing is dead. Advertising is deader. Long live growth hacking? Part 3

By Gonzalo López Martí - Creative Director

• Many growth hacks are glorified, carefully orchestrated bait & switch maneuvers.
• Throw in a little word of mouth* and BINGO.

Michelle Cobas joins MEL as Managing Director, Chief Growth Officer

MEL, a culture-forward creative collective, announced that Michelle Cobas has joined in the role of Managing Director, Chief Growth Officer.

Influyente launches Marketing Agency for Multicultural Audiences

Catalyzed by strong market demand, Refuel Agency spins off new multicultural agency, driven by AI insights and a network of multicultural influencers.

20 Ideas for marketers & agencies

Can you imagine working daily with the smartest, most successful CEOs, CMOs, and marketers? Or interacting daily with the very best agencies in the world – of all sizes and shapes – and across all disciplines (creative, media, PR, digital, etc.).

Casanova//McCann named “Best US Independent Agency”

Last week, El Ojo de Iberoamérica named Casanova//McCann the Best U.S. Independent Agency for 2024.  And on Friday at the Ad Color Awards, Casanova also received 2024 Best Campaign of the Year for its work in partnership with McCann for U.S.Bank. The work recognized is “Translators” a documentary developed to celebrate the role of immigrant children as translators for their parents. This work was developed to support the launch of U.S. Bank’s Spanish-language app and has received 40+ awards since it launched.

Two-thirds (65%) of marketers expect business conditions to improve next year

Improving economic conditions, the tension between social media and brand safety, the growing cohort of consumers leading more solo lifestyles, expanding brand building to encompass the entire customer experience, and managing the impact of AI technology on the environment, are five key trends that will shape global marketing strategies in 2025, as revealed in WARC’s Marketer's Toolkit 2025.

‘We can’t cry about the milk that’s spilled’: As DE&I fallout continues, multicultural agencies grapple with changes

Brands like Ford Motors, John Deere and Molson Coors, among others, have reversed course on their diversity, equity and inclusion commitments. The shift is leaving multicultural and diverse-owned agencies grappling with the fallout.

Agencies: treat your people well; they may run a future agency review

Agencies: treat your people well; they may run a future agency review The agency business is a tough business. Clients expect a lot. Agency economics are strained. And staff often move around for promotions. It’s hard to run a successful agency.

“Embracing Purpose Beyond Politics: A New Opportunity for Brands in a Divided America.”

As the dust settles on one of the most divisive elections in recent memory, brands have a rare opportunity to refocus on their purpose. Beyond the bitter politics and polarized discourse, there’s a deep desire among consumers for connection and unity. This presents a pivotal moment for brands: they can now help bridge divides, uplift communities, and inspire optimism. But this requires brands to step boldly into their purpose-driven messaging—while avoiding the political pitfalls that can alienate their audience.  By Luis Miguel Messianu. Founder, President-Chief Creative Officer- MEL

How to evaluate agency proposals

Very few marketers are taught how to evaluate an agency proposal, whether it is a formal written response to an RFP, a presentation or some other format.

How Much Longer Can The Agency/Client Model Survive?

“The agency model is broken.” This refrain is so worn out it’s a cliché. Yet, despite its obvious flaws, the model has survived for decades. Here’s how it works: agencies base their fees on the number of “Full-Time Equivalents” (FTEs) assigned to a client—essentially, headcount. In theory, more complex projects require more FTEs, allowing agencies to scale revenue with staff allocation. More FTEs mean higher fees; simple math, straightforward billing.  By Shelly Palmer

After Transforming Advertising, AI Is Coming for Marketing

Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way advertisers manage advertising campaigns. Platforms like Meta and Google have deeply integrated AI into their systems, automating the once-tedious processes of ad targeting, creative testing, and bid optimization. This transformation has enabled advertisers to scale campaigns with minimal manual input, maximizing performance while reducing operational burdens.

2024 Top Agencies in the World by Revenue

Agency Mania Solutions have released their 2024 edition of the Top 15 Agencies in the World.

The Continuing Education of In-House Agencies

The proliferating number of in-house ad agencies blending creative talent, media buying, and online analytics underscores the growing need to train such agencies to keep up with accelerating demands from senior management and adapt new skillsets. Companies have learned the hard way that building these teams requires more than just slapping a name on a unit within the marketing department and pegging it as an in-house agency.