Inside the 'omni' merger | Kneecap director on ads | Slow down now!
We’ve gone?deep into the Omnicom/IPG merger and gathered analysis from the industry’s best. But if that’s not your cup of tea (or coffee), we have an interview with Kneecap director?Rich Peppiatt and a critique of ChatGPT’s Sora tool. Also, keep an eye out for VCCP ’s?Nick Lewis arguing that agencies need to SLOW. THE. FUCK. DOWN! Show that one to your boss in ’25. You're welcome.?
You can expect a final wrap-up next week before all of our journos get into eggnog bliss. Thanks for reading.?
Richard Draycott on agencies
You may have heard there’s a new ‘biggest’ kid on the block in agencyland.?Omnicom announced it is hitching its wagon to that of IPG and naturally, The Drum went into overdrive gathering reaction to the big deal that will no doubt wield some whopping headaches over the next year or two as the groups and people are integrated, streamlined, merged, off-loaded, rebranded etc.
Advil at the ready.?S4’s Sir Martin Sorrell told The Drum that this deal comes as a rescue boat for IPG,?which was struggling after losing some key clients. Meanwhile Green Square ’s?Barry Dudley suggested the absence of words such as ‘advertising’, ‘creative’ and ‘strategy’ in Omnicom’s official announcement might signal that big agency brands such as 天联广告公司 , DDB and McCann may not be the future drivers for the merged group.?
Indie agency leaders waded in too having their say on?what the deal might mean for them as clients, agency brands and key people are inevitably jettisoned in the months ahead.?And then, when everyone thought 阳狮广告 ’s?boss Arthur Sadoun may be hiding in a corner licking his wounds, he hits back with ‘Video 2’?- a tongue-in-cheek video message to staff that showed great spirit and character after John Wren and Philippe Krakowsky conspired to steal his ‘big dogg’ glory.?People say there are no characters left in this industry – Sadoun, Wren, Krakowsjy and Sorrell are bucking that trend right now.
Amy Houston on advertising
Since its release at the end of summer, Kneecap - the dramatized biopic of the Belfast hip-hop trio - has been sweeping up awards, including a recent win at the British Independent Film Awards.
To uncover the story behind the film’s success, I sat down with its writer and director, Rich Peppiatt. With a fascinating career trajectory, Peppiatt began as a journalist, making headlines for his bold stand against tabloid practices during the Leveson Inquiry. After a brief detour into comedy, he crossed paths with Kneecap, igniting the collaboration that brought this gripping and unconventional story to screens
It’s an inside look at one of the year’s most talked-about films and one of my favorite interviews to date.
We’re nearing the end of the year and I’m looking to hear your predictions about what we might expect from creative advertising next year. Noticed any trends?
As ever, get me here. Don’t be shy! [email protected]
John McCarthy on opinion
I want journalism to succeed. Its?path to salvation lies not with the latest digital hacks or within the ruins of Fleet Street but with the marketers?The Drum features every day.
Like you, I publish onto this internet thing, an internet thing that was flooded with garbage even before we invented?robots spray it with more garbage.
Like you reading, I often fall into the trap of MORE. NOW. FASTER. But what if we were less obsessed with how many, and more with how good, or what impact??
I suspect?that in advertising, after a couple of slower days, you don’t get away with saying, ‘I did that?really good?article last week, leave me be.’?
This leads me to an opinion published this week by VCCP’s?Nick Lewis. He makes the most compelling case yet for advertisers (and, by my interpretation, journalists) to slow the f**k down and make something that will create culture. Not just react to it. Journalism could stand to do the same.
In 2025, the aim is to publish densely packed little gyozas of strategic excellence. Umani and a bit of spice. Some texture to chew on. And rarely the upset stomach that follows a mystery dumpling. Read Nick below and feel free to pitch me on [email protected].?
Also on The Drum
Kendra Barnett on media
领英推荐
Well, as the holidays close in on us,?the clock is ticking on TikTok.
After a federal judge denied the company’s appeal to overturn a law requiring parent company ByteDance to divest the app or face a nationwide ban in the US, TikTok has filed an emergency motion to block the impending ban. The ban is set to take effect mid-January, and while President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he may fight back against its implementation, TikTok is short on time and options. Experts warn that creators, brands and users should plan accordingly.?
Meanwhile, after 10 months in beta, OpenAI’s much-hyped text-to-video model Sora has been released to the public, available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users in the US and some other markets. Although its technical capabilities are winning praise, some experts warn that OpenAI’s somewhat opaque governance and transparency practices?make the tool unfit for use in commercial creativity.
Cameron Clarke on the 'omni' merger
It was the story that no one saw coming – not the journalists scrambling to cover it on a Sunday night, not the holding company competition, and not the 130,000 staff left wondering what this means for their livelihoods right before Christmas.
Omnicom’s takeover of New York rival IPG is the most stunning advertising deal we’ve seen since Omnicom and Publicis agreed to an ultimately doomed merger a decade ago.
Will this one succeed where that one failed?
Given that Omnicom boss John Wren and his IPG counterpart Philippe Krakowsky have already been working on this deal in secret for 11 months – somehow – the odds look a lot more likely. Wren appears to have learnt his lesson.
The presence of a senior partner this time around (this is very much an acquisition, not a merger) and the corporate and cultural convenience of both businesses being headquartered in New York City make this deal more achievable.
Both sides aim to close it by the second half of 2025, pending regulator and shareholder approval. The former is not a formality, given that the deal will create the world’s biggest business of its kind and create a media buying power center in the US. The latter should be more straightforward, given the lure of the already-promised “$750m annual cost synergies”.
You don’t need me to tell you that’s a euphemism for savings. Agency brands and people will all be under the microscope of the “Integration Committee” in the months ahead. For staff, clients and competition, it’s a case now of watching on to see what kind of new Omnicom – and holding company landscape in its wake – emerges.
My inbox is open for your ideas and opinions at [email protected]
Tom Banks on design
Design software product suite Canva has been experiencing a growth spurt and when I met its chief customer officer Rob Giglio this week he showed us how it’s looking to drive further growth in a crowded market.
He sees the company’s head start over its rivals as its key advantage. Having had the opportunity to grow functionality further – partly through acquisition – Canva’s now focusing on corporate offers where its tools are being made available for non-designer business users. With Canva claiming that 95% of Fortune 500 companies are using the platform it’s clearly making in-roads in this direction. This said, Giglio makes a case for being able to sell Canva to just about everyone.
In this piece?we get to grips with Canva’s market position, how it keeps its customers, how acquiring other businesses has increased the platform’s capability, where it’s heading next, and whether Adobe Express is a threat.
Hannah Bowler on brands
I’m working up ideas for a feature for 2025 right now, so I thought it was a good time for a call-out.?I’m keen to hear what are people’s favorite brands right now. Who is doing cool shit I should have on my radar and be writing stories about next year??
The?Birkenstock revival, everyone’s love affair with Yeti and Gen Z’s Blank Street matcha obsession have filled the pages of The Drum recently but now I’m on the hunt for more. Brands could be big, small, old or little newbies, they just need to be making a splash or piquing your interest.
Get me on [email protected]
Question of the Week
After appearing with Snoop Dogg and then later coming out to discuss the Omnicom/IPG merger, do with think we can expect a regular video from Arthur Sadoun. Perhaps one on Christmas day.?Letters on a postcard to?[email protected]
A great piece from Nick???thank you for the shout-out!