When Wendy Clark left Coca-Cola for DDB she probably expected a more topsy turvy life and she’s certainly found it.
First up DDB won McDonald’s with its new We Are Unlimited offer – also involving other bits and pieces from Omnicom – but then DDB failed to make it to the last round of VW’s global pitch (American branch) although it’s still in the running elsewhere. For the US pitch Clark recruited former Droga5 CCO Ted Royer, embarrassing for a #MeToo stalwart.
Now, though, DDB has won the US Army account, reportedly worth $4bn over a ten-year term. This moves from long-time incumbent McCann which is still appealing the decision. Allegedly relations soured following a relationship between a senior Army marketing exec and a McCann staffer.
Given the legions of people who work on such accounts over such a long period it would, perhaps, be surprising if two of them didn’t have a relationship but ad and marketing folk are supposed to be above reproach these days. Doubtless Clark will be instructing her troops on the perils of hanky-panky.
At some stage Omnicom CEO John Wren will surely stand down. There’s a changing of the guard in adland with the relatively youthful Mark Read and Arthur Sadoun taking over at WPP and Publicis respectively. Omnicom may look outside its own ranks or even the industry, of course.
But Clark would seem to be an internal rival to Andrew Robertson, boss of Omnicom’s most successful network BBDO.
