A PHD team from Omnicom Media Group has won the global media planning and buying account in key markets for drinks giant Diageo.
The pitch was reportedly "closely contested" with Dentsu’s Carat and Publicis Media in the final stages.
OMG is now Diageo's media agency of record and PHD strategic lead.
Diageo is a British multinational alcoholic beverages company, with its headquarters in London and offices in six continents. Its brands include Smirnoff, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker, Baileys and Guinness.
The FTSE-100 company is one of the world’s biggest advertisers and estimated to spend more than AUD$1 billion a year on paid media, with a reputation for investing in brands over cost cutting. Its annual report shows that its total marketing outlay was more than AUD$4 billion.
The transition from Carat to PHD and Omnicom Media Group is expected to happen for the start of the new financial year.
Carat and WPP's Mindshare won the account following a global review in 2016, with Carat winning Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia and retaining the lucrative US and UK accounts. WPP’s Mindshare manage South Africa and India.
In Australia, Diageo bucked the global trend, continuing its ongoing one agency strategy with Publicis-owned shop Spark Foundry, while Leo Burnett handled creative.
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