Dentsu Aegis Network, which implemented 10% pay cuts, furloughs and layoffs last month, is bringing together its non-Japanese creative agencies under the Dentsumcgarrybowen umbrella.
In practice this seems to mean rebranding some agencies in Asia that went under the Dentsu name. It’s all part of the move to create three distinct pillars in the Dentsu Aegis Network: media, creative and CRM — that began last year and sparked some redundancies long before Covid-19 took hold.
McGarryBowen’s announcement tweet just says, “New name, new look,” without mentioning anything new in the substance of the global operation, which now spans 24 global markets and 3000 people. Clients include American Express, Asahi Breweries, Canon, Disney, Hershey, Marriott, Shiseido, Subway, The Coca-Cola Company, Toyota, and United Airlines.
Gordon Bowen will lead the new “organisational structure,” as it’s being called. He said: “At mcgarrybowen, we have been on an incredible journey and are dedicated to solving business challenges our clients face and finding creative solutions that will drive transformative business results for them. With growth and momentum fuelling us, the time has come to unify around an integrated global offering and a single leadership structure. Toward that end, we are installing our most trusted and respected leaders.”
These trusted leaders are all from the US operation: Jennifer Zimmerman (global chief strategy officer), Ned Crowley (global chief creative officer), and Jon Dupuis (global president). New global CEO Wendy Clarke doesn’t start until September, but will presumably also be based in the US.