By at least one important measure--industry awards--OMD has emerged as the most creative media agency. OMD, a unit of Omnicom, received the most awards of any agency from the various global ad
festivals honoring media creativity. According to an annual compilation, the Gunn Report For Media, OMD picked up 29 individual awards during the past 12 months, making it the most creative media shop
by a wide margin. Starcom MediaVest placed second, followed by ZenithOptimedia Group, MediaCom, MindShare, Mediaedge:cia, Universal McCann, and Carat.
The field of media creativity--usually
defined as breakthrough media strategies and executions that break through the clutter to connect with a consumer--has emerged as the art of the media services field, and has spawned a new market for
awards festivals recognizing the practice. Three years ago, at the prompting of media industry leaders attending MEDIA magazine's Forecast conference, MediaPost launched its annual Creative
Media Awards, one of the festivals compiled in Gunn's report. OMD won three of 14 awards during MEDIA's 2005 CMAs: "Best Media Plan," "Best Radio Campaign," and "Best In Show" for its work for
the launch of client ABC's hit series "Lost."
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Other festivals included in Gunn's compilation include the Cannes' Media Lions, the Clios, the FIAP, the Golden Drums, and the Effies. For the
second year in a row, Procter & Gamble is sponsoring the Gunn Report For Media, in an effort to demonstrate the packaged goods marketer's commitment to supporting creativity in media planning and
buying.
"It has become clear that the media channels we use to 'connect' to our consumers are as vital as the creative content that we deliver to them," says Bernhard Glock, manager of
global media and communication at P&G in an introduction to this year's report. "As consumers gain more control over their media consumption, and as more content and messages vie for their attention,
it becomes harder and more complex to engage with them."
P&G's sponsorship may be part of a new corporate imperative, but it's also ironic, because P&G doesn't even rank among the marketers
represented by the winning agencies. Hewlett Packard dominated the pack with five awards and 30 points from Gunn's grading system for two campaigns--"Virtual History" and "HyPe Gallery," both of which
were developed by ZenithOptimedia. Nike placed second followed by Adidas, Ford, and General Motors.
Rank | Agency | Awards | Points |
1 | OMD | 29 | 161 |
2 | Starcom MediaVest | 20 | 150 |
3 |
ZenithOptimedia | 14 | 95 |
4 | Mediacom | 17
| 80 |
5 | Mindshare | 14 | 64 |
6 |
Mediaedge: Cia | 13 | 53 |
7 | Universal Mc Cann |
11 | 36 |
8 | Carat | 11 | 35 |
8 |
DDB | 8 | 35 |
10 | BBDO | 9 | 33 |
Source: Gunn Report For Media 2005 & Isabelle Musnik.
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