British Airways: assigns media activity to Omnicom (credit: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Omnicom landed British Airways’ media planning and buying business, concluding a review process that began in January 2021.
Omnicom Media Group – which will also handle paid and organic search and other performance marketing channels, including affiliates and meta-search partnerships – will take over the account from WPP, which managed the creative, media, social account. and paid search of airlines. since 2017.
International Airlines Group, owner of BA, launched the review in January. WPP pulled out of the race, with one final lap involving Omnicom and Havas.
Last week, Countryside revealed that Uncommon Creative Studio won the airline’s advertising and CRM business, which it will start next February.
A bespoke Omnicom Media Group team will be set up to work with British Airways from next March.
The airline said the new structure “will allow British Airways to maximize its growth strategy, adopting Omnicom’s global network, efficiency planning framework and a digital-centric approach.”
Alongside British Airways, Omnicom will also work on the loyalty program of its parent company IAG.
“Throughout the pitch, we were impressed with Omnicom’s industry-leading strategic and technological capabilities, its first digital approach and its strong focus on efficiency,” said Tom Stevens, Director of British Airways brand and customer experience.
“We look forward to working with Omnicom’s highly talented teams around the world as we emerge from the pandemic and look to our future. I would like to thank WPP for the successful partnership over the past few years as we move to the new operating model.
Florian Adamski, Managing Director of Omnicom Media Group, added: “We are very proud to have been chosen as the Global Media Partner of British Airways.
“This was an opportunity to create a flexible agency model for British Airways, fueled by the breadth of talent from Omnicom Media Group and Omni, Omnicom’s industry-leading open operating system, orchestrating better results for our clients. “
For Omnicom, British Airways has had a strong recent streak of global media victories, including Chanel and Mercedes-Benz.
The group also works with HM Government, John Lewis and Virgin Media.
Omnicom Media Group agencies Manning Gottlieb OMD and PHD cleaned up at the recent Media Week Awards.
