17319: MLK Day 2026 In Adland.

 

In the past year, Adland saw the erasure of IPG, FCB, DDB, TPN, etc.

 

Add MLK and DEIBA+ to the elimination list.

 

RIP.

17306: On Spiking DDB.

 

Just wondering. How much longer before Spike DDB drops DDB?

17245: On Mastheads & Mass Layoffs.

 

Forbes published content adding to the online overthinking and overreaction to rumors that DDB will be retired once Omnicom closes its acquisition of IPG.

 

As repeatedly recognized by this blog, White holding companies fueled the commoditization of Adland, whereby talent, services, and practices became generic, interchangeable, and replaceable.

 

The erasure of once-iconic White advertising agency mastheads is nothing more than collateral damage from corporate colonialism.

 

The notion of dumping DDB is not a new move for Omnicom. Consider the following from Wikipedia:

 

In 1986, Allen Rosenshine, Keith Reinhard and John Bernbach (son of William Bernbach) co-created Omnicom in a three-way merger of BBDO Worldwide, Doyle Dane Bernbach and Needham Harper Worldwide.

 

The origin of Omnicom led to the ultimate demise of Needham Harper Worldwide—as well as other prominent and obscure agency brands over the years.

 

The truly obscene and outrageous part of the proceedings involves associated RIFs.

 

That is, the removal of nameplates shouldn’t overshadow the removal of names from company rosters.

 

Whatever Happens To Omnicom’s DDB, The Copywriting Is On The Wall

 

By Shann Biglione, Contributor

 

Reports of DDB’s demise may be exaggerated. But even if the brand survives Omnicom’s guillotine, the system that created it is already gone. Or why the age of names, myths, and craftsmanship is giving way to the age of scale — for better or for worse.

 

The Rumor Heard Around Madison Avenue

 

Depending on which corner of LinkedIn you scroll, DDB may have been “killed,” “merged,” or “strategically rebranded” by Omnicom. The details are fuzzy. The headlines aren’t confirmed. But the reaction says everything: shock, nostalgia, and a faint sense of déjà vu.

 

Because deep down, everyone in advertising knows how this story goes. The magician lifts the saw, the assistant lies in the box, and we all gasp on cue… even though we’ve seen the trick a hundred times.

 

Whether DDB truly disappears or just gets renamed into something like Omnicom Global Buzzword Collective, the outcome feels the same. The brand as we knew it (the one that made “lemon so sweet” it became a metaphor for excellence) may be reaching the pantheon of famous names that once defined an industry — until we find some of Bernbach’s DNA captured in a mosquito, at least.

 

When Legends Lose Their Leverage

 

Let’s be honest: DDB isn’t the only name in this position. Most of the storied agencies we grew up admiring were built for a market that no longer exists. They were intimate, creative cultures that thrived on craft and reputation, not on integration decks and procurement metrics. In the grand scheme of things, DDB is small, like most of the agencies we grew up idolizing. Lovely names, rich history, no leverage.

 

Today’s holding companies live by scale and client centric “agencies.” Integration beats inspiration. Platforms trump portfolios. And the competition isn’t BBDO versus DDB anymore — this would be the equivalent of two classic cars arguing over horsepower while Accenture, Amazon, and Publicis are rolling out self-driving tanks.

 

The creative myths that once defined advertising are being replaced by operational logic. It’s not cruelty; it’s capitalism — the very fuel that powers advertising.

 

The Blob Always Wins

 

Publicis understood the game early: stop pretending to be a federation of agencies and become a single, pulsating organism centered around the Most Important Client In The World Is You^TM. The Power of One sounds friendlier than The Blob, but the principle’s the same. It’s efficient, scalable, and mildly terrifying. Most importantly, it works.

 

Omnicom, like every holding company, has to look at which brands it chops, and which brands it simmers. Consolidate and simplify the structure. Streamline the story for clients and shareholders alike. It’s the natural evolution of an ecosystem that prizes predictability over poetry.

 

Maybe DDB will technically survive. Maybe it won’t. But in either case, it’s becoming something else. Less name, more node.

 

Mourning What Made It Magic

 

We should still mourn. DDB stood for a philosophy and principles that inspired entire generations of marketers. One that believed in ideas so powerful they could outlive their media plan. It was a place where copywriters became icons and strategy meant something deeper than “data-driven.”

 

If the rumors prove true, we’ll lose another piece of that heritage. If they don’t, we’re still losing the conditions that made it matter. Somewhere out there, a young creative will learn about DDB through a corporate brand chart instead of a reel of classic campaigns. That’s the real loss.

 

The Opportunity in the Aftermath

 

But history moves in loops. Every time the giants consolidate, independents get a little breathing room. When the ecosystem becomes too efficient, someone eventually misses the mess — the human mess that made the work sing.

 

If DDB is truly being folded in, it might mark not just an ending, but a clearing. Space for smaller, weirder, more personal ideas to re-emerge. The Davids who dare to zig while the Goliaths zag.

 

So yes, let’s pour one out. Even if the obituary is premature, we might as well tell them while they’re still standing. But even if the brand survives, the business it helped define is evolving into something… else. The copywriting is clearly on the wall.

 

And maybe that’s fine. Magic never really dies. It just finds a different stage.

17234: Omnicom To Declare DDBuh-Bye…?

 

Adweek reported Omnicom delivered a vague response to rumors that the White holding company will erase White advertising agency brands like DDB upon completing its acquisition of IPG.

 

Online chatter included weeping and gnashing of teeth over the possible obliteration of iconic mastheads.

 

Yet such probable moves should not be surprising, as Omnicom has been a leader in orchestrating the commoditization of Adland, building a global portfolio of generic, exchangeable White advertising agencies.

 

Indeed, the White holding company deemed once-storied Goodby Silverstein & Partners equal to Fathom Communications—a shop that ultimately folded its Chicago office before folding sister offices into assorted White ad agencies within the Omnicom empire.

 

The rumors reflect reality.

 

Omnicom Responds To Rumors That It Will Sunset DDB 

 

Following unconfirmed reports that the DDB brand could be retired, Omnicom says it is still evaluating its agency structure

 

By Audrey Kemp

 

Omnicom Group has responded to reports that it plans to retire the DDB agency brand following its $13.5 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group, which is expected to close by the end of November.

 

The company did not confirm or deny the reports, but said it is evaluating its agencies ahead of the deal closing.

 

International advertising publications speculated on Wednesday that Omnicom intends to consolidate its creative operations around three global networks—BBDO, TBWA, and McCann—once the acquisition receives final regulatory approval. If accurate, the move would eliminate DDB as a standalone global brand.

 

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 companies until the acquisition is finalized.

 

Consolidation underway

 

Founded in 1949 by Bill Bernbach, Ned Doyle, and Max Dane, DDB is one of Omnicom’s three main creative agency networks, alongside BBDO and TBWA.

 

DDB has already begun consolidating some of its operations. Earlier this year, the network unified its North American agencies—DDB Chicago, adam&eveDDB, and multicultural shop Alma—under newly appointed North America CEO Caroline Winterton and COO Isaac Mizrahi.

 

In 2023, DDB New York merged with adam&eveNYC under the name adam&eveDDB.

Last year, Omnicom aligned its creative networks DDB, BBDO, and TBWA, as well as agencies including Goodby Silverstein & Partners and GSD&M, under an umbrella called Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG).

 

Further streamlining Omnicom’s creative portfolio would mirror similar moves by WPP, Publicis Groupe, and Dentsu to integrate creative, media, data, and tech capabilities under fewer brands.

 

A creative legacy

 

DDB operates in more than 40 markets worldwide, and its subsidiaries, such as adam&eveDDB London, are among the most awarded in the industry. It’s unclear how those entities would be integrated if the DDB brand was retired.

 

Over the past several decades, DDB has produced celebrated work like Volkswagen’s “Think Small” and McDonald’s “You Deserve a Break Today.”

 

More recently, however, DDB’s creative output has faced scrutiny.

 

In June, Cannes Lions withdrew the Grand Prix awarded to DDB’s São Paulo-based agency DM9 for Whirlpool brand Consul’s “Efficient Way to Pay,” after determining the case film contained AI-manipulated footage. DM9 chief creative officer Icaro Doria stepped down, but DDB retained the Cannes Lions Network of the Year title.

 

Omnicom’s all-stock acquisition of IPG, announced in late 2024, would create the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue, overtaking rivals Publicis and WPP. The deal is projected to generate about $750 million in cost synergies.

 

Omnicom is in the final stage of gaining regulatory approval from the European Union, the last remaining market under review.

16996: Adland Supports DEIBA+—For An Exclusive Group.

Like the brands they service, most White holding companies and White advertising agencies dramatically decreased public acknowledgement of Black History Month 2025.

 

However, also like the brands they service, holding companies and agencies enthusiastically embraced and performatively promoted International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

 

In Adland, White women enjoy priority, privileged, and power status on the DEIBA+ org chart.

16810: Musing, Mulling, And Munching On Mickey D’s And More.

 

Muse by Clios interviewed DDB Worldwide Chairman Emeritus Keith Reinhard, who shared his thoughts on the state of creativity, challenges past and present, iconic campaigns, client-agency relationships, and more.

 

Covering his 50+ years in Adland, Reinhard also wondered “if today’s advertising industry might be well advised to embrace or re-embrace generational inclusion along with the commitment to gender and racial diversity.”

 

Not surprisingly, racial and ethnic equality received less attention than the Hamburglar—and the alleged diversity dilemma of ageism against Old White Guys and Old White Gals emerged as an imperative.

 

In Adland, You Deserve A Break Today does not apply to people of color.

 

Keith Reinhard on Creativity, Agency-Client Bonds and the Hamburglar

Looking back, and mulling what’s ahead

 

By Amy Corr

 

Keith Reinhard serves as chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide. In a career spanning more than half a century, he has worked as a writer, art director and creative group head, and held key roles in agency management.

 

Transcending the Mad Men paradigm, Reinhard has shaped consumer tastes and stoked the engines of media and commerce on a global scale.

 

He’s father to the Hamburglar, and along with his creative team birthed McDonald’s brand-defining “You Deserve a Break Today” campaigns in the 1970s, plus the unforgettable “Two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions, on a sesame seed bun” mantra woven into copy and jingles. “Just Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There” was his idea, too. Keith also worked on Volkswagen, Polaroid, Amtrak, Xerox, Mars and General Mills, to name just a few. On the business side, Reinhard helped merge Doyle Dane Bernbach and Needham Harper Worldwide into the DDB network, which he led as chairman and CEO for 16 years.

 

We spoke with Reinhard about the challenges plaguing the industry today, the importance of agency-client trust, his favorite campaigns and the return of his beloved Hamburglar.

 

Muse: What’s your take on the state of creativity today and the trust between an agency and client?

 

Keith Reinhard: I’m sure it varies from those clients who see their agencies only as interchangeable suppliers chosen for the lowest price, to clients who value their agencies as trusted partners. It was encouraging to see some examples of the latter on stage at the Clios this year. In the long term, the only clients that will value their agencies as long-term partners are clients who understand the value of long-term brand building. I doubt that such clients represent the majority of advertisers today. In part, that’s because we have failed to make a convincing case for the value of building brand loyalty over time, which has always been a brand’s best defense against price competition.

 

As for the state of creativity in general, the fragmentation of media channels makes it difficult to establish and maintain brand integrity and instead, encourages one-off messages hastily prepared on a low budget, subjected to instant A/B testing, and placed by algorithms as interrupters on every available social media channel. While that seems like a condition more conducive to mindless repetition of breathless product claims than to brand building, there are notable exceptions. One of my favorites is DDB’s award winning apology campaign for Skittles—a prime example of contemporary creativity at its best. The brilliant multi-channel idea is absolutely on-brand and true to Skittles idiosyncratic personality. During a “press conference” on Twitch and TikTok, a Skittles “communications director” apologizes individually to thousands of protesters for replacing the lime-flavored green Skittles with a green apple flavor thirteen years ago. He promises to restore the lime flavor, at least for a while. The social media campaign was augmented by other media including a huge sign in Times Square where Skittles apologized to individual tweets.

 

I’ve also been impressed by Sakara Life, the plant-based food delivery service founded by two young women in 2011 that is now a $150 million powerhouse. They’ve given their brand a clear purpose with a distinctive brand personality that connects with viewers with advice like “make love, not dinner.”

 

I believe the level of creativity will rise in the future as young creators and their clients begin to realize the difference between a click and an emotional connection, the difference between creating a buzz and creating a brand, the difference between a one-off stunt and an enduring brand story and the big difference between big data and a big idea.

 

As for the state of creativity in television, I didn’t see any Super Bowl commercials I wished I had done. But then again, I’m not the target audience. At least the Rabbit Hole commercial for Tubi used storytelling to get my attention, built suspense and then paid off with a promise of free movies. All without borrowing interest from a celebrity. That in itself was refreshing.

 

What were some agency/client trust/bonds you experienced in your career?

 

When Tom Morrill, State Farm’s chief marketing officer in the ’60s and ’70s, was asked if he’d ever consider a new agency, he said he would not. Instead, he said if he needed fresh thinking, he would ask us for new ideas or even new people. But he had no interest in going through a search process or acclimating a new agency to the insurance business that we, his trusted longtime agency partner, knew so well. Tom’s confidence in us laid the groundwork for a relationship that lasted for more than 60 years.

 

To shake things up in the Washington-Baltimore market, Fred Turner, CEO of McDonald’s, once granted us the freedom to try any new idea we wanted if we stayed within the budget and didn’t do anything illegal. Turner startled us by saying, “Don’t bother to show me storyboards. I trust you. Just show me the finished work.” This level of trust motivated us to work even harder to deliver a remarkable product, which we did. Fred liked it and ran it with success.

 

A strong bond of trust with Anheuser-Busch figured importantly in that great client supporting the offbeat, off brand “Wassup” campaign for Budweiser, which August Busch IV said brought more value to the brand than any other single idea in the brewery’s history. It won the Grand Prix in Cannes in 2000.

 

What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry today and how can it be overcome?

 

It might be the lack of time. The time to think, time to shape an idea and let it grow, time to let it work in the marketplace, time to work together, time to care, time to rest and reflect. I have no idea how to overcome our obsession with speed.

 

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your career?

 

By far the biggest challenge I faced was merging two creative agency networks into one in the mid-eighties. I was CEO of Needham Harper Worldwide but my idol was Bill Bernbach, who had revolutionized the industry when he founded Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1949. After Bill died in 1982, my dream was to combine his agency with Needham to establish a new global creative force built on Bill’s legacy. As part of the creation of Omnicom, we found a way to do this but as an observer wrote in the New York Times after our announcement, “Mergers are hell!” I understood what he meant as we started to put the agencies together. Turf battles had to be resolved in major markets, client conflicts had to be dealt with and differing systems had to be integrated. But thanks to the resolve of a top management team that shared a vision, we were able to create a common culture grounded in a shared belief that creativity is the most powerful force in business.

 

What’s something that exists now that you wish existed earlier in your career or you’re happy it didn’t exist earlier on?

 

Google could have helped us earlier. Back then, finding answers to questions took a lot more time.

 

On the other hand, I’m glad we didn’t have the science and technology that today claims to instantly determine an ad’s effectiveness. As Bill Bernbach said: “However much we would like advertising to be a science, the fact is that it is not. It is a subtle, ever-changing art, defying formularization, flowering on freshness and withering on imitation.” Today’s instant A/B testing makes it impossible for a good campaign to “wear in” and would almost certainly have killed Volkswagen’s game changing “Think Small” campaign which, when launched, was met by skepticism from both consumers and dealers.

 

What were some of your favorite campaigns to work on?

 

There are so many—Volkswagen, Polaroid, Amtrak, Xerox, Mars, General Mills. But I’ll highlight three.

 

McDonald’s was a great client. They understood the value of making emotional connections with their customers. In 1971, we created their first national advertising campaign by focusing on the McDonald’s experience instead of just their hamburgers. Our kick-off campaign, “You Deserve a Break Today,” encouraged people to take a little respite from their daily routines and enjoy the food, folks, and fun at McDonald’s. We followed the initial campaign with another customer focused effort, “You, you’re the one,” which also made it into the Madison Avenue Songbook. The Big Mac jingle, “Two all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce- cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed bun,” created by my team in the ’70s, is still remembered today. While I personally gave birth to the Hamburglar, working with the team to create McDonaldland, home of the Grimace and all the other characters, was truly a blast.

 

I also loved working on all the Anheuser-Busch brands starting with “Head for the Mountains” for Busch Beer and then all the work we did for Bud Light and Budweiser. As with McDonald’s, great advertising is only possible when you have great clients. Anheuser-Busch was one of the best. They proved that big time when they bought and supported the aforementioned “Wassup” campaign for Budweiser, a campaign that went viral before we knew what viral even meant and won the Gran Prix at Cannes in 2000.

 

State Farm was one of my favorites. In the ’70s, new research pointed out that State Farm’s most important competitive advantage was the fact that their agents had their offices in neighborhoods where people lived, in contrast to competitor companies who often housed their agents in big buildings in a business district. This insight led to our creating a long running campaign, “Just Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There.” We contracted Barry Manilow to write the tune to which we wrote three verses—one for car insurance, one for home insurance and another for life insurance. The jingle is no longer used but I’m pleased that “Jake from State Farm” is still using our tag line.

 

As the person behind the Hamburglar, are you excited to see his resurrection in ad campaigns?

 

As the father of the little burger bandit, I’m pleased to see he’s up to his old tricks and still getting by with a limited vocabulary. Robble.

 

What “Mad Men” experience can you share with us?

 

Things were different back then. In the early ’70s, I was head of the creative department at the Needham agency in Chicago, and I noticed that a young woman had joined us as a trainee in the account executive department. I wasn’t directly involved in her accounts, so I had never met her. But I remember thinking it was good that we were finally going to see at least one woman become an account executive. Then one night when I was working late, this young woman burst into my office and breathlessly asked if she could hide under my desk!  I said “Uh, yeah, I guess so, but why are you hiding?” She named a figure in agency management and said, “I think he’s been drinking, and he’s chasing me down the halls!” This promising young trainee hung out in my office until we could assure her that the halls were clear. She then went on to become the agency’s youngest senior vice president, heading up accounts like General Mills and McDonald’s. A few years later, the amazing Rose-Lee Simons, became my amazing wife.

 

Anything else you’d like to discuss?

 

In a recent meeting, Vincent Gardner, composer and lead trombonist for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, was asked by a young musician how to become great. Gardner advised the young man to “seek out the oldest person you can find who’s doing what you want to do. Tapping into that person’s experience will be the very best way you can become great.”

 

Gardner’s counsel made me wonder if today’s advertising industry might be well advised to embrace or re-embrace generational inclusion along with the commitment to gender and racial diversity. As a young copywriter, I learned a lot from mentors who were in their forties and fifties. Yet, as of a few years ago, an IPA Excellence paper stated that staffers over the age of 50 represent only 6 percent of ad land’s workforce. By comparison, 22 percent of professionals in finance were over 50 and a Writer’s Guild survey showed 50 to be the median age of Hollywood screenwriters. When last I checked, consultants range in age from 40 to 60 which may be why they have the kind of access to clients’ C-suites that is often denied to ad agencies. Does it matter that today’s advertising industry, unlike other professions, undervalues experience? I think it might.

16781: WTF alma DDB Disses DDB…?

 

alma DDB CEO Isaac Mizrahi continues to push the Latino agency’s “ungeneral” platform by asking, “How can marketers move away from ‘general market’ thinking?”

 

It’s unusual that a message urging marketers to avoid general-market thinking—ie, White advertising agencies—is posted by the DEIBA+-deficient DDB.

 

To make a sloppy segue, over the years, DDB has seemingly operated a revolving door for Chief Diversity Officers. Does alma DDB even have a Human Heat Shield on staff?

16762: Omnicom Puts The Con In Consolidation.

 

Campaign reported Omnicom—like other White holding companies—consolidated creative White advertising agencies under a single banner: in this case, Omnicom Advertising Group. Gee, there’s a name that screams creativity.

 

The maneuver is not surprising, as Omnicom has coordinated the consolidation and commoditization of creative services for decades. The White holding company mastered Corporate Cultural Collusion, serving a buffet of White advertising agencies to clients, often avoiding a competitive pitch. Why, Goodby Silverstein & Partners was once presented as interchangeable with Fathom Communications. The fact that Zimmerman Advertising is part of the mashup says it all.

 

In recent years, Omnicom even proceeded to consolidate office spaces.

 

Finally, Pioneer of Diversity John Wren tapped former TBWA Worldwide CEO Troy Ruhanen to serve as OAG CEO, completing the Caucasian cronyism consolidation.

 

Omnicom consolidates creative agencies globally under Omnicom Advertising Group

 

EXCLUSIVE: Led by former TBWA Worldwide CEO Troy Ruhanen, OAG aims to scale innovation and knowledge sharing across the holding company’s creative networks.

 

Omnicom on Tuesday (27 August) unveiled the Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), a new structure that aligns its creative agencies globally under one leadership team.

 

Troy Ruhanen, formerly CEO of TBWA Worldwide, will lead OAG as CEO. Deepthi Prakash, international president and chief product officer of TBWA Worldwide, is promoted to COO of OAG, and Denis Streiff, CFO of TBWA Worldwide, is promoted to global CFO OAG.

 

OAG will oversee Omnicom creative networks including BBDO, TBWA, DDB and The Collective, which includes Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners and Zimmerman.

 

In addition to TBWA US CEO Erin Riley, who is promoted to fill Ruhanen’s post as TBWA Worldwide CEO, Omnicom global creative agency leaders will report to OAG leadership.

 

This includes BBDO’s recently-promoted global CEO Nancy Reyes, DDB global CEO Alex Lubar and The Collective CEO James Fenton.

 

The new structure will take effect on January 1.

 

According to Ruhanen, OAG aims to bolster Omnicom’s agency brands while scaling access to tools, technology and talent that sits around the network globally.

 

“We know that certain talent are attracted to certain agency cultures, and our clients prefer to have lots of choices rather than just the one solution on offer. So, it’s really important that the agency brands are strong,” he said. “But we have the ability to use scale to our advantage.”

 

With the new structure, OAG leadership will be able to more easily identify and scale existing solutions, platforms or investments across its creative agencies and clients globally. For instance, if a team in Finland or South Africa has developed a cutting-edge platform or way of working, OAG can bring that to clients and teams around the world.

 

“There are a lot of innovations that bubble up in markets that you wouldn’t expect,” Ruhanen said. “It’s a matter of being able to identify those innovations and say, ‘OK, we really think that this is something that’s quite cutting-edge. Let’s move that around the world. Let’s start to educate people about this way of working.’”

 

OAG is a response to AI and digital transformation that has reshaped the creative industry and competitive landscape. Particularly for creative agencies, scaled access to investments in generative AI, data and other technologies is becoming a competitive advantage.

 

“It’s probably more relevant than ever to be able to benefit from our scale,” Ruhanen said.

 

Additionally, as clients seek more integrated and tailored solutions from agencies, OAG will help facilitate access to talent and teams across the network, while simultaneously providing talent with mobility across different agencies and client teams.

 

“In the past, a lot of us tended to hold on to the [talent] that we have because we were fighting for our personal brand success,” Ruhanen said. “How do we really look at getting the best talent for our clients, the best solution and collaborating together?” He pointed to his nearly nine years at BBDO and Reyes’ recent move from TBWA to BBDO as examples of Omnicom’s track record with talent mobility.

 

Omnicom does not plan to merge or sunset any agencies as part of the new structure, and will pitch solutions as OAG or as individual agencies, depending on the client’s needs. “We have far greater flexibility to be able to meet the needs of the client,” Ruhanen said.

 

The model follows a structure Omnicom has implemented in other disciplines, including Omnicom Media Group, Omnicom PR Group and Omnicom Health Group.

 

“The [creative] agency world really is—I wouldn’t say it’s the last area—but it’s close to being that,” Ruhanen said, adding that Omnicom’s creative agencies have already started to work this way behind the scenes.

 

While OAG will add leaders in specialist areas in the months to come, the intention is not to build a “holding company within a holding company,” Ruhanen said.

 

He added that he will judge his own and the group’s success by each of the individual agencies' success, and that as competitors merge agency brands and allow them to fade to the background, maintaining strong brands and cultures is a competitive advantage.

 

“This doesn’t come at the sacrifice of the agency brands,” he said. “It’s there to help them.”

16505: Greetings From Adland On MLK Day.

 

Seems like only a handful of White advertising agencies and White holding companies bothered to acknowledge MLK Day via social media. The messages are contrived, including the standard sentiments such as:

 

“Today we honor…”

 

“Today, we celebrate…”

 

“As we pay tribute…”

 

Tomorrow, we go back to systemic racism.

 

Hopefully, the companies recognize that the words and images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are not in the public domain—and the King estate has been paid for usage rights.