DDB’s future uncertain as Omnicom finalises US$13.5b IPG merger

Bill Bernbach once said creativity was the most powerful force in business. As Omnicom and Interpublic Group move closer to finalising their US$13.5 billion merger, market forces may yet prove him wrong.

Rumours have intensified this week that Omnicom will retire the DDB network as part of its global integration plan with IPG, effectively dissolving one of the most influential agency brands in modern advertising. Founded in 1949 by Bernbach, James Doyle and Maxwell Dane, DDB helped define the creative revolution through campaigns like Volkswagen’s iconic Think Small.

DDB is one of Omnicom’s three main creative agency networks alongside BBDO and TBWA. Following the merger, Omnicom will also inherit several overlapping IPG networks, including McCann Worldgroup, FCB and MullenLowe, making consolidation almost inevitable. 

SEE MORE: Omnicom to close IPG deal by November

The US Federal Trade Commission approved the merger in late September under an integration framework that consolidates the combined group’s creative operations around three core global networks - BBDO Worldwide, McCann (dropping “Worldgroup”) and TBWA\Worldwide. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Omnicom for comment but had not received a response at press time. In a statement to Adweek, an Omnicom spokesperson said the company is “undertaking a rigorous and considered process to ensure we have the very best solutions for the future for us and for our clients,” adding that Omnicom and IPG remain independent entities until the acquisition is finalised. 

If confirmed, the retirement of DDB would mark the end of a 75-year legacy synonymous with creative excellence and brand storytelling. The move follows a series of structural shifts within the network. In Canada, DDB was merged under the Omnicom Advertising Group banner last year, while in New York, Adam&Eve merged with DDB Worldwide to form Adam&EveDDB - a decision that signalled the beginning of deeper brand integration. 

In markets across Asia, DDB remains a significant creative force with clients including Coles, Volkswagen and DoorDash in Australia, McDonald's Hong Kong, Google in key APAC markets such as Indonesia, plus Audi in Singapore. This year, though, it has lost several major accounts including McDonald’s and Westpac in Australia.

In 2023, long-time DDB leader David Tang stepped down as CEO of DDB Asia, marking the end of a 25-year career with the network. Tang, who previously led DDB Singapore for two decades before handing the reins to Jeff Cheong, was instrumental in building the agency’s creative reputation across the region. His departure underscored a period of wider leadership transition across DDB’s Asia operations.

Omnicom Group chairman and CEO John Wren previously hinted that brand consolidation would be part of the integration process, telling analysts the company would make “appropriate decisions based upon what’s going to lead to greater growth and greater career opportunities for our best and most talented people.” 

Wren said the merger will create “the industry’s most talented team and a powerful platform designed to accelerate growth through strategic advantages in data, media, creativity, production and technology.” 

The combined group will become the world’s largest advertising holding company, with estimated annual revenue exceeding US$25 billion and more than 100,000 staff globally - overtaking both Publicis Groupe and WPP. 

However, the washout across regional markets, including Australia, remains unclear. Staff from Omnicom and IPG’s local agencies have reportedly been instructed not to discuss the merger until its completion, expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. Globally, Omnicom’s severance costs more than doubled this year to US$127 million, a possible sign of network rationalisation already underway.

As Bernbach himself might have said, great advertising builds brands; but great business decisions build empires.