Volkswagen has extended its global creative contract with Omnicom’s DDB for three more years. B&T understands the extension applies to DDB Group Australia.
Omnicom will broaden its partnership with Volkswagen to include “precision marketing capabilities” as they transform the company’s customer experience and production processes. This newly-formed group will be fully integrated with the media team at PHD.
This integrated global leadership group will be centred in Berlin and will continue to draw heavily on Omnicom’s talent from around the globe.
Volkswagen global CMO Susanne Franz said: “Omnicom and Volkswagen are entering a new era in how we create our communication. The DDB heritage and their depth of knowledge of the Volkswagen brand is unrivalled, and the seamless introduction and integration of new and existing Omnicom partners will take the partnership to a new level. Their care, love and passion for the Volkswagen brand is always felt by our teams.”
Volkswagen has worked with DDB for more than six decades, creating iconic work including DDB’s famous ‘Think Small’ and ‘Lemon’ VW Beetle campaigns, which launched in 1959.
More recently, DDB and other key Omnicom shops, such as AlmapBBDO in Brazil, have been working together as a united global group bringing together the best of the holding company’s creative talent.
DDB Worldwide president and COO Glen Lomas – who leads the creative account – described Volkswagen as “part of our DNA and our love for the brand is unconditional”.
He added: “We constantly challenge ourselves and evolve our partnership to deliver more resonant and effective work. This brilliant constellation of talent will bring the soul of the brand and what makes their cars so loved to new generations in every geography. These next three years will be our most important yet.”
Omnicom CEO and chair John Wren said the group was “proud of the iconic work we’ve done with Volkswagen over the years with DDB at the helm and we are energised about our new and evolving partnership with them”.
PHD recently retained Volkswagen Group’s circa $2.2 billion global media account for three more years following a protracted media review that had stalled in 2021 before being jump-started in 2023.
Although DDB Group is the led agency, Volkswagen Group has also worked with creative agencies Ogilvy and Grabarz & Partner.
Sewing up VW’s media and creative accounts is another shot of good news for Omnicom, which recently beat analysts forecasts to post 5.2 per cent revenue growth in Q2.
