DDB Group approached 2024 like a seasoned team with a deep playbook but wasn’t afraid to switch up tactics mid-match.

The agency retained a strong core line-up across creative, digital, and media, while continuing to leverage the breadth of its Omnicom network advantage.

On the scoreboard, there were notable wins that kept momentum high including Our Watch, Acciona, Belong, Lipton Ice Tea, T2 and the Brisbane Broncos. Major accounts such as McDonald’s and Volkswagen gave the team stability (it would go on to lose part of the McDonald’s account in early ’25) while project and campaign successes in categories including finance, tourism and retail proved its ability to adapt strategies for different playing fields. It would, however, lose the Westpac creative account following a 13-year partnership in October 2024.

There were some changes in DDB’s top order over the season, too. Sydney strat boss Fran Clayton would depart in April for Ogilvy, with Rupert Price coming in as her replacement from DDB Aotearoa. National chief creative Stephen de Wolf would also depart for BMF in September following a three-year stint.  

Despite those changes, DDB’s work was of consistently high quality across the year, winning a suite of awards at shows around the world and at the B&T Awards. Cannes Lions would even name it the top ANZ network. ‘The Original Mouthful’ was a cracking piece of work for McDonald’s, and showed the potency of its emotion-driven work. ‘Turbine Made’ for ACCIONA managed to hit both the head and heart, too, some going in the world of climate change marcomms.

It also went to pains to make work more efficiently, launching its Gen Audio tool to automate radio creative and its Feels Barometer, which tracked the emotional resonance of work at scale. It also scaled its in-house production studio Maker.

The group’s internal systems and diversity focus remained a steady part of its off-field strategy. Training programs, leadership pathways and inclusion initiatives helped keep the bench deep and ready, even as the competitive landscape intensified. For instance, it expanded its internal training in 2024 with targeted sessions such as “Brilliant Managers” for emerging leaders and “Project Phyllis” for female creatives. It also partnered with FBI Talent on the LAUNCH program for students and young creatives.