Omnicom Merges Proximity and Rapp Agencies
The resulting company will operate as Rapp Worldwide
Omnicom is integrating two agencies within Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, merging Proximity Worldwide and Rapp Worldwide.
The resulting agency will include 19 offices globally, operate as Rapp Worldwide and be led by Rapp global CEO Marco Scognamiglio.
“Unifying these agencies under the Rapp brand accelerates the opportunity for our clients and our talent to benefit from a breadth of skills that rival any agency’s.” Scognamiglio said. “We already partner together on a number of clients globally, and this will clearly establish our U.K. office, with more than 500 employees, as a flagship agency within the Rapp worldwide global network.”
In the U.K., Rapp will be led by both Rapp U.K. CEO Chris Freeland and former Proximity London CEO Gabby Ludzker, with Freeland serving as executive chairman while Ludzker serves as CEO. Mike Dodds, who served as Proximity Worldwide global CEO, will move into a new role as Rapp EMEA CEO.
The expanded Rapp Worldwide agency will continue to operate as part of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG).
“At OPMG, we are always strategically reviewing how we can deliver a more competitive and relevant offering to our clients,” OPMG CEO Luke Taylor said in a statement. “This union aligns highly complementary skills and services and will benefit both our people and clients worldwide.”
The integration follows a leadership restructuring at Rapp’s New York office last year. In November, Rapp New York hired Shari Reichenberg as managing director as Justin Thomas-Copeland moved into a new role within OPMG, and hired Heather Salkin to lead production. Rapp also won a portion of the University of Phoenix account last June.
Proximity’s most high profile work in recent years was arguably Proximity Spain’s “It Takes a Real Man” campaign combatting masculine stereotypes for Gillette last year. Proximity hired Richard Fraser as its first North America CEO last March.
