Aloha from rainy Portland (shocker),
Just when we thought there couldn’t be any more agency action, Accenture Interactive and Droga5 went out and did a deal. Long known as one of the last bastions of independence (though Endeavor did own a 49 percent stake), the 13-year-old agency and consultancy may have sent one of the bigger shots across the bow about the future of agencies.
One of the calling cards of Droga5 is its legacy of creativity and boldness. 2006’s Ecko stunt is still held up as one of the greatest examples of subversion. More recently, the agency's Super Bowl/Not Super Bowl work for Newcastle Brown Ale was a standout, and its real Super Bowl work for Tourism Australia took the world by storm. And IHOP/IHOb? That was something else. These are but a few examples of the agency’s creative chops and vision, led by David Droga.
As expected, reaction to the news was mixed. While on one hand, some conceded that this deal is simply the soon-to-be new agency world order, others lamented the fact that such a staunchly independent organization would deign to go to a consultancy.
Michelle Edelman, evp and chief strategy officer at Peter Mayer thought that it “signals the death knell of the kind of daring creativity Droga5 has produced–and that has won in the marketplace.”
And Mark Ray, CCO of North had a similarly grim view saying that it is the “End of an era. End of advertising. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but Droga was everyone’s psychological hope for our industry. For Droga to sell to a management consulting company, well, honestly, probably spells the end of the agency model as we’ve known it.”
But Mat Lignel, CEO and president of Laughlin Constable may have summed it up best by noting that the Accenture/Droga5 marriage is “a crucial moment for the industry, as it’s the first time a genuinely great agency is being acquired by a major consultancy. It’s now clear there are two competing visions for the industry: one based on consolidation and size vs. one that puts a premium on independence and being nimble. Ultimately, clients will decide what fits their needs best … and one could argue they already have.”
In other news this week …
Cannes may be on the naughty step for inking Cambridge Analytica’s former CEO as a speaker.
Publicis Groupe confirmed that it may be making a run at Epsilon.
RFPU: The maker of OxyContin is looking for a new agency partner.
Moving. Shaking. IPG Mediabrands’ Magna hired Dani Benowitz as its U.S. President. WPP opened a big ‘ol campus in Amsterdam. Ralph Lauren consolidated its global media account with four agencies, with Zenith in the lead role. Duracell sent its global creative account to Wunderman Thompson. And speaking of Wunderman Thompson, global CMO Jamie Gutfreund is headed to Hasbro.
Want to intern for Harry Bee at Havas in New York? Then you’ll have to do it old-school … by sending a postcard.
Here’s what brands did for April Fools’ Day.
Care for more agency news? Maybe some quirky stuff? Head on over to our sister site, AgencySpy. If you’re already a reader, we send you the most groovy of vibes and thank you.
By the way, did you watch the Theranos documentary yet? Burn a couple of hours this weekend ... totally worth it.
As always, feel free to kick over your agency news and notes to me at doug dot zanger at adweek.com. Have a lovely weekend and we’ll see you back here next week.
Warm Regards,
Doug Zanger
Senior Editor, Creativity + Agencies
