• by Joe Mandese , November 14, 2005

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."

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.