• by December 29, 2006

As a New Year begins, it’s time for OMMA’s Agency of the Year honors. We considered a host of factors in making our selections and can say that it was not an easy business! After aggressive outreach and a month’s worth of teases on the “Online Minute,” dozens of agencies submitted detailed briefs outlining their accomplishments in 2006. We analyzed those achievements, sifted through the briefs, consulted with a group of advisers, and weighed successes and accomplishments.

AKQA, far and away, came out on top. As a Silver winner last year, AKQA climbed its way to the top of the heap in 2006 with notable work for a blue-chip roster of clients like Coke, Diageo’s Johnnie Walker brand, Visa, McDonald’s, and Microsoft. The shop is attracting a lot of attention, so much so that it is quietly (or not so quietly) shopping itself around.

McDonald’s selected AKQA as its lead global digital agency to work in conjunction with Omnicom’s Tribal ddb, the brand’s U.S. digital agency of record. AKQA’s global efforts include work for Nike in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. It also has an outpost in China that’s handling work for Coke as the marketer prepares for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Digitas, our Silver winner, is a dependable stalwart that delivers consistent results for an impressive client list. We also acknowledge Universal McCann for excellence in media buying and planning; Reprise Media for unique search programs; R/GA for stellar work in Web design and development; and RPA Interactive for breakthrough creative.

On another note, we welcome Emily Scardino as managing editor of OMMA and Media magazines. Emily was the features director of Condé Nast’s Footwear News, where she managed a team of editors, writers, and photographers. Earlier, she worked for Lebhar-Friedman’s DSN Retailing Today and Apparel Merchandising. We hope to see you on January 17 in New York when we celebrate the “Toast of the Town” and OMMA’s Agency of the Year winners.