NEWS: Omnicom and AMV coalition on hold

The long-planned merger of the media departments of Abbott Mead Vickers

BBDO and BMP DDB looks more unlikely than ever in the wake of this

week’s decision by AMV to pool its media with Pattison Horswell Durden

in the UK.

Omnicom, which wholly owns BMP and holds a 26 per cent stake in AMV, had

hoped to combine the two agencies’ media operations in the UK as part of

its new pan-European media network. The company’s plan to launch its own

media brand across Europe is still set to go ahead. However, BMP’s media

department, under the joint media directors, Derek Morris and Paul

Taylor, is likely to be rebranded to form the UK outpost for the

network, as predicted in Campaign (3 May).

The prospect of the BBDO network being so closely associated with AMV’s

rival, BMP, in the UK is thought to be a matter of concern to AMV’s

management. The agency is keen to maintain its European media

connections with the BBDO network.

Currently, AMV uses the BBDO network around Europe for pan-European

media business. But BBDO on the Continent is wholly owned by Omnicom and

will be part of Omnicom’s rebranded media network.

PHD already has its own international media network, formed earlier this

year (Campaign, 26 January), but these arrangements are said to be under

consideration in the light of the AMV deal.

Tim Cox, BBDO’s European media director, said: ‘Omnicom’s objective is

to have a joint media company between BBDO and DDB across Europe, and

what happens in any local market doesn’t affect that objective.’

Insiders still won’t rule out a media alliance between BMP and AMV in

the UK.

This article was first published on Campaign