Omnicom Group Inc. Agencies Converge on Cannes and Emerge on Top

Omnicom Group Inc. agencies led the top rankings at the Cannes International Advertising Festival this year across multiple categories.

For the first time ever, both the Titanium and Integrated Grand Prix went to one campaign, Obama for America, a collaboration between OMC's GMMB, campaign strategist David's Plouffe's AKPD Message and Media, and campaign staff. Commenting on the win, Advertising Age noted, "The Obama/Biden campaign, which won the Titanium and Integrated Grand Prix, was a decentralized, digital-savvy, open-source, grassroots effort through and through" with massive TV advertising used to generate brand awareness.

In addition, for the third consecutive year and in a very close race, BBDO Worldwide finished first and DDB Worldwide finished second in the Network of the Year competition. The award honors the top networks with the highest combined scores for entries in the Film, Press, Outdoor, Radio, Media, Cyber, Direct, Promo, Titanium and Integrated competitions.

DDB Brazil and DDB&Co. Istanbul also captured first and third place for Agency of the Year, while the Film Grand Prix, Outdoor Grand Prix and Radio Grand Prix were awarded, respectively, to DDB, TBWA and BBDO.

At the festival Goodby, Silverstein & Partners was named Interactive Agency of the Year, while Ketchum and DDB each picked up PR Lions in the newly created PR category. OMC agencies, including OMD, PHD, Proximity also distinguished themselves in media and LatinWorks was the only U.S. Hispanic agency to win a Lion in any category.

H&R Block Moves $120 Million Account to DDB

Tax preparer H&R Block has shifted its $120 million marketing account to Omnicom Group's DDB without a review, dealing a blow to the marketer's creative agency of nine years, Interpublic Group of Cos.' Campbell-Mithun. Read more.

DWP appoints DDB London to ad task

The agency beat CHI & Partners, Delaney Lund Knox Warren, and Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy to the account. DDB will now take on responsibility for producing an ad campaign informing people of changes to the pension system. Read more

Agency Executive of the Year: John Wren

There are those who argue the ad agency is too volatile a business to be publicly held, subject as it is to the whims of clients and creative talent, two of the most finicky
and temperamental groups of people you'd ever want to meet. It's a pretty persuasive argument, right up until you come to the case of John Wren, who in his decade as CEO of Omnicom Group has made a turbulent industry seem downright calm.

Maybe more than in any year since he took Omnicom's reins, Mr. Wren demonstrated in 2006 that the holding-company model can work -- and not just for agency owners taking earn-outs. Read more.

Why John Wren Picked Chuck Brymer to Head DDB

In a move that surprised many in the ad industry, Omnicom Group President-CEO John Wren last week tapped an unfamiliar name, Interbrand Group Chairman-CEO

Chuck Brymer, to succeed the late Ken Kaess as DDB president-CEO. He isn't, however, unfamiliar to Mr. Wren, who made it clear in a rare, frank and sometimes scolding interview with Advertising Age's Matthew Creamer that people who don't understand the appointment don't understand where the agency business is going. Read more.