This Study Shows Which Creative Agencies Won What U.S. Business in the First Quarter of 2018

In a study released to Adweek measuring U.S. creative agencies’ new business activity in the first quarter of 2018, COMvergence highlighted Leo Burnett as the leader of the pack with the Publicis Groupe-owned shop adding three accounts to its roster.

The research group’s study found a total of 33 creative accounts switched hands during the period, compared with 34 in the first quarter of 2017.

Leo Burnett won the U.S. account of rising discount supermarket chain Aldi, Nintendo’s Pokemon and the global business of Campbell’s Soup and Sauces, according to the research group.

Kantar Media reported Aldi spent $57.7 million on advertising in the U.S. in 2017 but only $10.4 million in the first half of this year. On average, Campbell’s spends about $164 million on measured media domestically and Pokemon about $8 million, per Kantar’s numbers.

The Campbell Soup Company consolidated its U.S. retail creative for Canada and the Asia Pacific region, digital, technology and consumer promotion and global media buying and planning responsibilities with Publicis in March. That decision ended Campbell’s long-standing relationship with Omnicom’s BBDO, which had worked with the company since 1954. Publicis also won the creative account of luxury watch and accessories brand Swarovski, per COMvergence.

BBDO had the most U.S. account losses in the quarter, the study showed. The creative agency lost a total of three accounts including Campbell’s, Lowe’s (which it held since 2005) and General Electric Appliances (an account it first won in 1920). BBDO was named Dunkin’ Donuts’ agency of record in April, ending the company’s 20-year partnership with Hill Holliday, which declined to participate in the review.

The study showed IPG’s FCB picking up the creative accounts of GE Appliances and Jimmy John’s sandwich shop chain, while Havas Worldwide won Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s (both owned by CKE Restaurants Holdings) and Orbitz.com.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter, Omnicom’s DDB won the creative account of Beam Suntory, the company behind whiskey brand Jim Beam and Pinnacle Vodka. DDB also extended its relationship with Johnson & Johnson by picking up its Aveeno business, according to COMvergence.

COMvergence reported that one-third of the total creative wins in the first quarter were distributed among indie shops Conill, The Richards Group, The VIA Agency, Wieden + Kennedy, The Barbarian Group and Wolfgang L.A.

The study found creative accounts that are currently in review (or have not yet publicly announced a winning agency) include Activition (U.S.), Ancestry.com (U.S.), Hyatt Hotels (U.S.), Kimberly-Clark (global), Nestle (North America), Aflac Insurance (U.S.), Asda (global), Ocean Spray (U.S.), Pizza Hut (global), Red Lobster (U.S.), Shell (global), Ally Financial (U.S.), Ford (global), Panadol/GSK (global), Red Bull (global), USCM (U.S.) and Volkswagen (global).

Combined, those accounts amount to about $7 billion in ad spend.

Lindsay Rittenhouse

@kitten_mouse

Lindsay Rittenhouse is a staff writer at Adweek, where she specializes in covering the world of agencies and their clients.