Omnicom merges DDB Group Aotearoa and FCB Aotearoa to create new McCann Group NZ; will be New Zealand’s largest agency by far

Following overnight global communications from Omnicom, Omnicom Oceania has announced a major restructure across Australia and New Zealand to align with the group’s updated global framework after completing the IPG acquisition. The move brings an end to months of industry speculation about the future of the DDB brand across both markets.

In New Zealand, DDB Group Aotearoa and FCB Group Aotearoa will merge to form a new unified creative and media network, McCann Group NZ, which will be New Zealand’s largest agency by far.

Priya Patel (above left), CEO of DDB Group Aotearoa, and Paul Wilson (above right), CEO of FCB Group Aotearoa, have been appointed Co-CEOs, combining the leadership strength and client expertise of both agencies. As part of the transition, Clemenger Wellington and FCB Wellington will rebrand as McCann Wellington and operate within the new network. Local leadership for the Wellington operation will be confirmed shortly.

In Australia, DDB Australia will be folded into Clemenger BBDO Australia to form Australia’s largest agency. Sheryl Marjoram  in Sydney and Mike Napolitano in Melbourne have been appointed Co-CEOs of the newly unified Clemenger BBDO Australia, where they will jointly lead the agency’s creative, media, strategic and operational direction. Outgoing Clemenger BBDO CEO Lee Leggett will move into a regional role as Chief Customer Officer, Omnicom Oceania, supporting client experience and integration across both markets.

These changes follow Omnicom’s global creative reorganisation, which will see the DDB and FCB brands retire worldwide. On the media side, Hearts & Science, Initiative, MediaHub, OMD, PHD and UM will continue to operate as distinct agencies within the region.

Says Nick Garrett (above), CEO, Omnicom Oceania: “This is a defining moment for our region. By bringing together the depth, ambition and talent of our people, while simplifying the architecture, we are creating modern, future-fit agencies and capabilities that will deliver world-class creativity and media, smarter data and technology integration, and new levels of effectiveness for brands in Australia and New Zealand. I want to congratulate Priya Patel, Paul Wilson, Sheryl Marjoram, Mike Napolitano and Lee Leggett on their new roles. Their leadership will play a critical part in shaping the next era of Omnicom Oceania. These changes honour the legacies of our heritage brands while positioning us to unlock even greater opportunity, effectiveness and growth for our clients and our people.”

brings an end to months of industry speculation about the future of the DDB brand across Australia and New Zealand.

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