Apple dumps Carat for Omnicom’s new pan-Euro operation

Apple Computer has split with Carat and awarded its pan-European

media planning and buying task to Omnicom’s Optimum Media Direction.

Carat was only awarded the pounds 10 million business last October after

a two-way pitch against OMD. The decision to award the pan-European task

to OMD effectively centralises the entire global Apple advertising

business into the Omnicom group.

In the UK, the move means that BBJ Media Services - which last October

won a further pounds 5 million piece of Apple business on the back of

the Carat win - will be pulled off the roster.

Manning Gottlieb Media, the media agency in which Omnicom took a

majority stake last year, will take over and is expected to lead the

pan-European strategy, pulling on OMD’s resources.

BBJ kicked off its Apple Mac account win last year with the UK

distribution of the ’think different’ campaign, which was created in the

US by TBWA/Chiat Day.

This article was first published on Campaign