Standing Tall: BBDO & The Industry’s Identity Crisis

Over the past decade, major agency networks have scrambled to reinvent themselves. J. Walter Thompson, a name with over 150 years of advertising history, merged with Wunderman and became Wunderman Thompson (WT). Young & Rubicam (Y&R) fused with VML, became VMLY&R then absorbed WT to become VML again, dropping every legacy in the process. Now, Leo Burnett (that was the nail to my coffin at least) has morphed into Leo Constellation, in yet another attempt to sound more like a tech consultancy than an ad agency.

Meanwhile, BBDO has stood its ground.

At a time when the industry is obsessed with rebranding itself into something it is not, BBDO has doubled down on what it does best: advertising.

The Power of Confidence

Nancy Reyes , CEO of BBDO New York, summed it up best:

“But we just feel like, fuck it. We’re in advertising, and we’re proud of it. I don’t understand why we keep wanting [the industry] to die or calling ourselves something other than what we are. When we’re advertising, and we’re big, and we do it well – that’s something to be proud of, not something to kill.”

This is not just a tagline. It is a statement of intent. While other agencies rebrand themselves into vague, consultant-friendly names, BBDO embraces what advertising is meant to be: bold, creative and powerful.

Why the Name Matters

Changing a name is never just about branding. It signals a shift in how an agency sees itself. When JWT became Wunderman Thompson, something was lost. The same happened when Publicis folded its agencies into a maze of restructuring, making it hard to tell one from the other.

The shift of Leo Burnett to Leo Constellation is the latest move in this trend. It sends a message that advertising, as an industry, is something to escape from rather than own.

But why? Advertising, at its best, is culture-shaping. It is what made Apple, Nike and Coca-Cola the giants they are today. Agencies should be owning that legacy, not running from it.

The Strength of Staying True

BBDO’s refusal to rebrand is not an accident. It is a statement. It says: we are not afraid of what we do.

And it is working. BBDO continues to create some of the best advertising in the world. They have not watered down their identity to fit a corporate trend. They have not tried to disguise their work under vague terminology. They are not pretending to be something else.

Advertising needs more of that.

Instead of running from what makes this industry great, agencies should be doubling down on it. Creativity, storytelling and impact will always matter. And the agencies that embrace that, rather than hide from it, will be the ones that lead the future.

Now the question is - BBDO, for the love of the industry - where do I apply?