• by December 27, 2005

Welcome to 2006 and OMMA's Agency of the Year coverage.

Choosing our Agency of the Year was challenging, to say the least. Many agencies submit briefs, and many don't. Often those that submit don't offer data to support their achievements. In a time when marketers are demanding more accountability for their media dollars, their agency partners must show the return on investment for each dollar spent. We wanted that intelligence, too. It wasn't enough merely to trumpet various programs; we wanted evidence of how the programs performed.

We analyzed agency achievements during 2005, sifted through briefs, consulted with the best minds we know, and came up with an unconventional slate. Defying expectations, t:m interactive, OMMA's Agency of the Year, blew away the competition. A small agency in Irving, Texas, t:m interactive works closely with sibling Temerlin McClain but stands powerfully on its own, besting many larger digital media and marketing agencies because it emphasizes performance metrics in every aspect of its business. The agency provided these metrics and showed how its programs helped drive the business objectives set out by clients American Airlines, Verizon's SuperPages.com, ExxonMobil, and Texas Tourism.

AKQA, our Silver winner, has worked hard to set itself apart in terms of talent, creative prowess, and visibility. This hotshop has achieved more in a year -- first winning online marketing duties for Coke Zero, and snaring the lead role on interactive creative duties for Coke globally -- than some shops do in a five-year run.

We also honor four other shops: AKQA received an additional nod for interactive design, Agency.com for stellar creative strategy and execution, Avenue A/Razorfish for its media planning and buying savvy, and iCrossing for best-in-breed search services.

We will toast all the winners on January 12 in New York. Here's to continued success and greater achievements in 2006!