Why our Agency Report is valuable to every ad professional—plus, GM concludes a massive review

Welcome back to Ad Age Briefly, everyone! Friendly reminder that this newsletter will be taking a vacation for the Fourth of July.—Ad Age Web Editor Mark Fischer

This week’s edition includes two of our must-have ad resources, winners and losers of the GM agency review, a cheeky dating app campaign, bidding au revoir to Cannes—and much more.

Agency Report 2024 returns for 80th year

?? We just published our 80th annual Agency Report, meticulously produced over the past several months by Ad Age Datacenter’s Bradley Johnson and Joy R Lee . This comprehensive report, available to All Access subscribers, is a must-read not only for those at agencies but for anyone in the advertising industry. It features an overview of the current agency landscape and an exclusive ranking of the world’s 30 largest agency companies. Curious about which agency companies are growing the fastest (financially and in employment) and which client sectors generate the most revenue? You’ll find all that information and more in the report.

To celebrate the launch of the report, as well as our new Agency Review Tracker (more on that later), Ad Age is offering a 50% discount on All Access subscriptions. This special offer ends on June 28—don’t miss out!??

Here are three quick stats from the report, via Johnson:

5.6%: Revenue growth in 2023 for the world’s 30 biggest agency companies. Revenue for the top five legacy holding companies—WPP, Publicis, Omnicom, Interpublic and Dentsu—edged up 2.7%. Combined revenue for the remaining 25 firms grew faster, rising 8.2%.

15: Agency companies in Ad Age’s top 30 ranking with headquarters outside the U.S. Four are based in the U.K.; two each in France, Germany, India, Japan and South Korea; and one in China.

4: Among the top 22 agencies in Ad Age’s first Agency Report in 1945, just four are still standing—Omnicom’s BBDO and Interpublic’s McCann, FCB and Campbell Ewald. The other 18 disappeared through agency consolidation and closings.

?? Get 50% off your All Access subscription here before diving into the full Agency Report.?

?? New to Ad Age? Create your free account today to unlock select stories and newsletters.?

GM overhauls its agency roster?

Automaker shifts gears: As most of the advertising world was saying goodbye to Cannes last Friday, Ad Age News Editor E.J. Schultz was breaking the results of one of the biggest reviews of the year: General Motors. Schultz and Ad Age Senior Reporter Brian Bonilla broke down the winners and losers of the six-month review, which impacted the auto’s creative, CRM and content agency lineup. Spoiler: Independent agencies did well while Detroit agencies did not.

?? Check out all of the winners and losers here.

?? Fun fact: GM spent $3.6 billion worldwide on advertising and promotion in 2023, down 10% from 2022, according to its annual regulatory filing.

?? Hear from General Motors Chief Transformation Officer Molly Peck and other top marketers from Coca-Cola, Vuori and more when Ad Age hosts our Business of Brands conference in Chicago on Sept. 18 and 19. Buy your ticket today for a limited-time discount.

Agency Review Tracker makes its debut

Accounts on the move: Earlier this week, we launched our Agency Review Tracker exclusively for All Access subscribers, offering a tool to monitor notable accounts under review. Much like the Agency Report, this continually updated tracker is a must-have for those in advertising.

?? Get 50% off your All Access subscription here before checking out our new Agency Review Tracker.

Riding the final Cannes Wave

Wrapping up Cannes: By now you’re likely sick of all of the Cannes puns that have made their way into this newsletter. Lucky for you, the creativity festival is over, though our coverage of it is still pouring in. Here are three post-Cannes stories worth checking out:

?? Meet the interns who won gold for a poop joke

?? The biggest Cannes takeaways and insights from ad execs??

?? 15 hidden gems among the Cannes Lions winners

?? Check out our Cannes section for all of the latest stories from the Croisette.

Creativity Corner

“Solicited D*cks”: That is the tagline of a cheeky campaign from the gay dating app Archer, which is working hard to ensure its users aren’t sent any unwanted nudes.?

?? Ad Age Reporter Sabrina Sanchez has the details on the campaign, which was created by Tombras.?

Marketer's Brief

Delivering insights: Gopuff’s senior VP of business Daniel Folkman breaks down the delivery services brand strategy, recent campaign efforts (including that Ozempic-related one) and where it sees growth in a conversation with Ad Age Senior Reporter Adrianne Pasquarelli .

?? Listen to the full conversation here.

Opinion

Gen? Z Voices: Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z is reading the news, “just in ways different from previous generations,” writes Red Banyan Account Coordinator Elena Chung , who offers ways for publishers and brands to engage the coveted demographic.?

?? Are you a Gen Zer who wants their voice heard? Learn more about our Gen Z Voices series here and submit your essay to [email protected].

Subscriber Favorites

?? How 4-day workweeks are impacting independent agencies

?? Inside the rise of hybrid creative technology jobs

?? IPG is exploring a potential sale of R/GA and a front-runner to buy it has emerged

?? Why streaming platforms are lagging in TV upfront deals

?? How new AI video tech could help brands produce long-form content

Hi there, thanks for reading: This newsletter was curated by Ad Age Web Editor Mark Fischer . Have any feedback or tips? Reach out to him at [email protected].