17487: WPP Media Leads In Wins And Losses.

 

MediaPost reported COMvergence’s Q1 2026 Global New Business Barometer recognized WPP Media as the leader, bringing in $1.98 billion.

 

However, for the full-year 2025, WPP Media ranked as the loss leader with a net new business decline of $1.78 billion.

 

Expect WPP Media to spin the conflicting leader figures with a billion tons of bullshit.

 

WPP Media Led New Business In The First Quarter

 

By Steve McClellan

 

A resurgent WPP Media led the new business global rankings in the first quarter of 2026, according to COMvergence’s Global New Business Barometer.  

 

The company’s net new business (factoring in wins, retentions and losses) for the period was $1.98 billion, with key wins including Jaguar Land Rover, Estée Lauder, and SC Johnson. By comparison, for full-year 2025 WPP Media had a net new business decline of $1.78 billion, per the research firm.  

 

Omnicom Media Group (including the first full quarter of results including the acquired IPG agencies) was second, posting a net figure of $1.61 billion with Delta Airlines and Dyson assignments contributing. Publicis Media ranked third, followed by Havas and Dentsu, with the latter two losing a bit of ground on a net basis.  

 

Olivier Gauthier, Founder and CEO of COMvergence noted that 25% of the $7 billion in total reviewed spend was awarded to the Big 3 holding groups, a first, which he said reflected “the growing consolidation of media business within bespoke, centralized group solutions.”  

 

At the agency network level, WPP’s Wavemaker ranked first globally with a net gain of $382 million, driven primarily by the retentions of Huawei in China and Reckitt in India. Sibling agency EssenceMediacom ranked second, boosted by the retention of the Estée Lauder account in China. Omnicom’s Hearts & Science placed third bolstered by the retention of Cox Automotive in the US and the win of Xiaomi in China.  

 

For the rankings, COMvergence assessed 600 media account moves and retentions across 49 countries, involving 390 advertisers. The $7 billion total was up 6% versus Q1 2025.   

 

The U.S. accounted for 33% of total spend, followed by China at 23%. The overall retention rate was 38%, on the high side for the past few years. Publicis Media recorded the highest overall retention rate among the Big 5, followed by Omnicom Media and WPP Media.  

 

Independent agencies — over 100 assessed in the report — captured $1.4 billion in net new business, representing 20% of the spend reviewed. Approximately one third of that business went to Horizon Media, including assignments from Discover and Weight Watchers.

17486: The New Reality In Advertising.

 

This Milton Beer commercial by Agency 1351 in Italy is explained as follows:

 

Two strangers meet in a lift on the worst day of their working lives, both clutching a cardboard box. They go for a pint and, instead of feeling sorry for themselves, discover they have something in common that will take them a long way.

 

This commercial breaks the unwritten rules of beer advertising — no beach, no beautiful people, no sunset — and focuses entirely on the quiet resilience of ordinary men.

 

Entirely AI-produced.

 

Interestingly enough, Agency 1351 is actually a lone White male copywriter producing AI-generated content—who was likely laid off himself and/or is creating commercials that will ultimately lead to layoffs at traditional White advertising agencies, production companies, talent firms, post-production vendors, and more.

 

Oh, and the AI-generated commercial promoted as content that “breaks the unwritten rules of beer advertising” is breaking tenets of advertising; that is, the concept is generic, and the execution lacks distinctiveness.

 

A real creative director would’ve crushed the idea like an empty beer can during the brainstorm stage.

17485: Subway Offers 6” Subs, Footlongs, And Crumbs.

 

The previous post on Subway launching a creative review to possibly find a new White advertising agency warrants another bite. Specifically, the Advertising Age report stated the following:

 

The chain is also prioritizing Hispanic-market expertise “not as a translation function but as a cultural capability,” alongside in-house or partner-led production capabilities for social, creator and limited-time offer content.

 

The statement demands interpretation.

 

For starters, define “prioritizing.” Which spot in the Subway food chain is designated for Hispanic consumers—that is, how important is marketing to Hispanics vs Whites?

 

Next, given the alleged goals of going beyond a translation function and seeking cultural capability, will Hispanic-market experts have a seat at the table—or will they be taking fast-food orders from the White advertising agency?

 

Finally, will Hispanic marketing restitution involve cash—or crumbs?

17484: Subway Fixing Its Brandwich…?

 

Advertising Age reported Subway is taking its Eat Fresh tagline to different levels.

 

The fast feeder wants fresh thinking, which could lead to changes, including a new White advertising agency.

 

For starters, Subway removed its Global CMO from the menu and appointed a new US CMO.

 

After a review, Subway’s US media duties went from Dentsu to Omnicom.

 

And now, Subway is launching a US creative review.

 

What’s next—reintroducing Jared?

Subway shakes up its CMO roster and agencies to solve the brand’s ‘emotional resonance’ problem

 

By Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin

 

Subway is overhauling its U.S. marketing and agency roster, parting ways with its global chief marketing officer, appointing a new U.S. CMO, and shaking up both its media and creative accounts, Ad Age has learned.

 

The changes come as Subway aims to fix what an agency-focused request for information document obtained by Ad Age describes as a deeper brand problem.

 

“Subway falls short on emotional resonance and brand distinctiveness; the brand is more known than felt,” the brief stated.

 

CMO shuffle at Subway

 

The sandwich giant has amicably parted ways with its global CMO, Greg Lyons, just over a year after he was appointed to the role, according to two people familiar with the matter. Subway CEO Jonathan Fitzpatrick, named to the role in July 2025, eliminated the global CMO position after changing the organization’s structure to a more regional one, according to sources. Lyons could not be reached for comment. Subway did not return multiple requests for comment.

 

Subway hired Jeff Klein, the former marketing leader-turned-president of Popeyes, earlier this year as a senior VP of marketing. Klein will now serve as U.S. CMO. David Skena, who was appointed North America CMO eight months ago, will now serve in a chief strategy and commercialization role, according to three people close to the situation.

 

Before his time with Popeyes, Klein served as the CMO of Little Caesars Pizza and was a long-time PepsiCo marketing executive. He will now report to Damien Harmon, Subway’s North America president, sources said.

 

Subway’s ongoing agency changes

 

Along with the CMO shuffle, Subway has awarded Omnicom its U.S. media and CRM accounts following a review, Ad Age has learned. Dentsu’s Carat most recently held the media account.

 

Subway is now launching a U.S. creative review, with an RFI going out this week, according to four people familiar with the matter. The creative account, which includes creative and social duties, is said to be worth around $10 million in fees, according to a source close to the situation.

 

Subway brought in Publicis Groupe’s Leo New York to handle U.S. creative in April 2025, replacing Dentsu Creative. It wasn’t immediately clear if Leo is participating in the creative review, which is being conducted by SRI, according to multiple people.

 

Earlier this year, Leo launched a campaign showcasing a promotion for Subway’s Sub Club loyalty program in which customers can earn a free footlong sandwich after three purchases of a sandwich of the same size.

 

However, free sandwich promotions were removed from the program following complaints from Subway franchisees about the deal being too generous and not cost-effective.

 

Dentsu also most recently handled social for Subway and played a significant role in facilitating the advertising effort around Subway’s collaboration with the 2025 movie “Happy Gilmore 2.”

 

Dentsu referred to the client for comment. Leo declined to comment. Omnicom referred comment to Subway, and SRI wasn’t immediately available for comment.

 

Subway’s U.S. measured media spending declined from $242 million in 2024 to $208 million in 2025, according to MediaRadar. Subway is the 10th largest U.S. restaurant chain, according to Technomic, with 2025 sales of $8.97 billion, down 5.7%.

 

Subway’s brief focuses on brand reinvigoration

 

The company’s largest challenge appears to be rebuilding its cultural and emotional relevance, especially with younger consumers, according to the RFI document. Subway “needs to re-establish brand meaning for a new generation of QSR consumers” by creating “a clear, ownable story about why Subway specifically is the better-for-you, fair-price sandwich choice for a busy life,” according to the brief.

 

This includes capitalizing on its first-ever value menu, launched in late April.

 

Subway’s recent value offerings are positioned as evidence that the company is “finally showing up with options that deliver value and everyday access,” the brief stated. But it also notes that the company needs to convince both existing and new customers that “Subway is delicious, convenient and affordable.”

 

“The current advertising has been working campaign-by-campaign rather than building a long-term, ownable brand platform,” the RFI stated.

 

Subway sees its biggest competitive pressure not just from rival sandwich chains, but from the broader quick-service restaurant landscape, where giants like McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and Wendy’s continue to dominate consumer traffic and volume. At the same time, emerging sandwich-focused competitors are beginning to gain momentum. The RFI identifies Jersey Mike’s as Subway’s No. 1 threat on “brand momentum and premium perception,” while Jimmy John’s was cited as a growing competitor built around “speed and convenience.”

 

Subway has faced declining U.S. store counts, intensifying competition and franchisee pressure during the last decade.

 

The company, which in 2024 completed its sale to affiliates of private equity firm Roark, has now closed U.S. locations for 10 consecutive years, shrinking from more than 27,000 domestic restaurants in 2015 to fewer than 19,000 today, according to QSR Magazine. In 2025, Subway shuttered 729 restaurants.

 

What Subway seeks in an agency

 

Subway is seeking a large-scale agency with the “bench strength to handle [its] calendar volume,” which includes “six marketing windows + test markets,” according to the RFI.

 

Subway also wants an agency partner with deep experience in fast-paced retail and QSR marketing, particularly around brand reinvention, social-first creative and managing large-scale integrated campaigns.

 

The chain is also prioritizing Hispanic-market expertise “not as a translation function but as a cultural capability,” alongside in-house or partner-led production capabilities for social, creator and limited-time offer content.

 

The company also signaled in the document that it wants senior-level involvement throughout the relationship, including “CCO/senior creative engagement,” that won’t just “pitch-and-disappear.”

 

Contributing: E.J. Schultz and Jon Springer

17483: Adweek Reruns Wren Renumeration.

 

Adweek published “exclusive” content that was originally scooped by MediaPost in March, re-revealing Omnicom Chairman and CEO—and Pioneer of Divestiture—John Wren pocketed nearly $70 million in 2025.

 

Adweek compared Wren’s 2025 compensation to CEO paychecks at competitive White holding companies and a single White operating company, pointing out Wren reeled in more than double all other CEOs combined.

 

Salary-shaming multimillionaires actively cutting hundreds of millions from their respective corporate coffers by firing thousands will not likely get sympathy from the average Adweek reader—many of whom lost incomes because of the CEOs’ cost-cutting maneuvers.

17482: FYI WPP JLR WTF BS.

 

MediaPost reported WPP and JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) completed negotiations initiated last December when the UK-based automaker handed its global “end-to-end” marketing communications account to the single White operating company following a review.

 

The scheme involves an outcomes-based payment plan and WPP-JLR relationship structure that reflect a “building-the-car-while-driving-it” approach. After all, the new partners spent nearly six months hammering out the ambiguous contractual details.

 

The JLR Chief Growth Officer and WPP CEO Cindy Rose delivered corporate statements that sound like breakthrough but smell like bullshit.

 

In short, the scenario makes less sense than the last Jaguar campaign.

 

WPP, JLR Finalize Global Marketing Partnership

 

By Steve McClellan

 

In December, UK-based automaker JLR (FKA Jaguar Land Rover) confirmed that it had selected WPP to handle its consolidated global “end-to-end” marketing communications account, subject to final contract negotiations. 

 

Now, WPP has confirmed that those negotiations have been successfully completed. The remit includes media, creative, production, customer experience and marketing strategy. It covers the client's portfolio brands: Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar. 

 

The carmaker spent an estimated $475 million on measured media last year, according to agency research firm COMvergence.  

 

WPP said the partnership moves beyond traditional models by forming a bespoke, integrated and co-located team from across WPP and JLR marketing talent. The business model, WPP stated, is “built on a unique outcome-based remuneration structure that aligns WPP’s success directly with JLR’s growth.”  

 

Lennard Hoornik, chief growth officer at JLR, said, “To supercharge the growth of our modern luxury brands, we needed to think differently. Together with WPP we want to resolve the traditional contradiction between scale and intimacy. Our joint vision for a single, AI-powered modern luxury marketing organization is the solution.”  

 

WPP’s CEO Cindy Rose, said, “This partnership is a testament to our shared ambition for the future of marketing. Our new mission at WPP is to be the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands in the era of AI. By combining the brilliance of human creativity with the transformative power of AI on WPP Open, we will help JLR create customer experiences of unparalleled intimacy and luxury, at scale, while writing a new playbook for growth.”

17481: On Honda Motor Europe Media Pileup.

MediaPost reported Honda Motor Europe completed a formal review, handing its lead media duties to EssenceMediacom in the WPP Media unit. The scheme will also utilize the WPP Open platform.

 

WPP CEO Cindy Rose probably applauds the win as proof that Eviscerate28 is working.

 

Okay, except the creation of EssenceMediacom, WPP Media, and WPP Open all happened under predecessor WPP CEO Mark Read’s watch.

 

To compound the confusing complexity, the incumbent White media agency for Honda Motor Europe was UM, which shifted when Omnicom acquired IPG. The loss could be fallout spotlighted and foreseen in a previous post.

 

It’s difficult to tell who’s in the driver’s seat for this pileup—but drones across WPP and Omnicom will likely serve as crash test dummies.

 

WPP’s EssenceMediacom To Lead Media For Honda Motor Europe

 

By Steve McClellan

 

Honda Motor Europe has appointed WPP Media’s EssenceMediacom as its lead media agency for the region, following a formal review.  

 

Spending in the region last year by the client is estimated at close to $90 million by agency research firm COMvergence.  

 

The auto giant previously worked with UM in the region. It wasn’t immediately clear what other agencies participated in the review.

 

The new partnership, effective in August, spans Honda Motor Europe’s automobile, motorcycle, marine, power products, and corporate communications divisions across 16 European markets as well as pan-European activity.  

 

As part of its remit, a dedicated agency team will lead Honda’s media strategy, planning, and activation across Europe. It will leverage marketing platform WPP Open, to integrate Honda’s brand-building, product communications, conversion activity, audience intelligence, channel planning, activation, and reporting into a unified system. 

 

Honda’s decision comes as the company strives to evolve its marketing approach and strengthen alignment across brand, product and customer engagement activities, according to the company.  

 

Consultant MediaSense was retained by the client to assist with the review.