By 
The Cannes Lions festival often sparks significant deals, and an intriguing possibility has emerged from France: Accenture Song may be eyeing the acquisition of some or even all of US-based Omnicom’s creative agencies.
Accenture Song, formerly known as Accenture Interactive, is a collective of tech-driven agencies, led by Droga5. The group also includes agencies like Karmarama in the UK and The Monkeys in Australia, although these agencies are not the largest in the portfolio. Accenture Song is a major player in the industry, with revenues of approximately $18 billion, putting it on par with WPP and ahead of Publicis. Accenture’s total revenue stands around $70 billion.
Omnicom has traditionally been known for its strong lineup of global creative networks, including BBDO, DDB, and TBWA. However, in recent years, the company’s focus has shifted more towards media and technology. Last year, Omnicom made its largest acquisition by purchasing Flywheel, a commerce and retail media specialist, for $835 million.
John Wren, the long-serving CEO of Omnicom, once attempted a merger with Publicis that would have created the world’s largest marketing communications company. Although the deal ultimately failed, it demonstrated Wren’s willingness to engage in transformational deals. As Wren’s tenure at Omnicom may be approaching its end, speculation arises that a significant deal could be in the works.
Creative agencies are no longer as profitable for ad holding companies as they once were. For context, in 1990, WPP valued Y&R at $4.4 billion—almost half the current valuation of the entire WPP.
David Droga, now supported by Annette King, formerly of Publicis and Ogilvy, seems to believe that Accenture Song’s combination of tech, consultancy, and financial resources can propel it to the forefront of the global creative industry. Accenture has notably avoided media agencies, likely due to its extensive media consultancy business.
Acquiring even one of Omnicom’s creative networks would be a significant move for Accenture Song, with DDB, currently led by the UK’s adam&eveDDB, being a likely candidate. Acquiring all of them would be a game-changing shift.