George Parker, now to be found at adscam.blog, sends us these toughts on the pending demise of DDB amid the Omnicom/IPG merger. We predicted in October it was set to be merged into TBWA.
George writes: No surprise that as part of its merger with IPG, Omnicom has kicked DDB under the bus. This iconic agency, which was the prime instigator of the creative sixties with truly brilliant work for VW, Avis, Ohrbachs, El Al and many others is yet another illustration of how the ad biz is becoming more fucked up by the day. Holding companies are placing less emphasis on creative work as they bet on AI to fill up the coffers. Pressure will increase to invest less in creative and more in technology that makes so-called marketing at scale possible. Shuttering DDB may be less about its creative legacy and more about Omnicom’s need to reposition for a slash and burn tech-driven future. As indeed is true of all the other BDHC’s (Big Dumb Holding Companies.)
IPG has already shed thousands of jobs, managing to wring out a profit amid a revenue decline – happening already.
