Agency news you need to know this week

Hello, and welcome back to Agency Brief. This week, we’ve got the details on a new agency from adam&eveDDB vets, plus the key takeaways from Interpublic Group of Cos.’ earnings. Want to be included in a future edition? Reach out to ewan.larkin@adage.com and brian.bonilla@adage.com for consideration. Introducing ImaginaryFriend Three industry veterans—Daniel Bonder, Dave Brown and Caroline Doyle—have launched ImaginaryFriend, an agency that aims to complement in-house marketing teams. The new shop will act as an “unseen partner” to brands, helping pair them with the right senior executives for the assignment at hand, it shared in a statement. ImaginaryFriend’s launch client is Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a luxury resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Bonder and Brown most recently served as executive creative directors at adam&eveDDB, and they will share the chief creative officer title at ImaginaryFriend. Doyle, previously VP at Observatory, is the new agency’s president. Read more: Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards FAQ Everything to know about IPG’s earnings IPG reported a 3.6% organic net revenue decrease for the first quarter. The agency group also reaffirmed its 2025 outlook, maintaining its forecast for a 1% to 2% organic revenue decline amidst broad economic uncertainty. “We did not see anything in the first quarter or in April that would cause us to reconsider our expectations for the year,” IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky said during the company’s earnings call. “As of now, marketers appear to be in a phase of scenario planning, assessing the implications of possible changes to the flows of global commerce,” he added. Read: Omnicom gives a more cautious 2025 forecast Krakowsky provided a brief update on Omnicom Group’s planned acquisition of IPG, revealing that a sixth country, Singapore, has approved the deal. China, Colombia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also greenlit it. ICYMI Here are a few of Ad Age’s biggest agency stories this week: Burrell Communications expands via a deal Burrell Communications Group has acquired Atlanta-based Fitzco, a move designed to create BCG Worldwide, the first Black-owned agency network. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1983 by Dave Fitzgerald, Fitzco’s client roster includes Waymo, Southern Company, Sylvania, Optum and Home Instead. As part of the deal, Fitzgerald will serve as interim CEO, with all of Fitzco’s approximately 100 employees being retained. Fitzco will also retain its name and branding, according to a Burrell spokesperson. More (from 2023): Burrell Communications Group acquired by private equity firm Quote of the week “There are few things more powerful than having one of the founders go, ‘This is my role now, because if we don’t figure this out, we might as well not figure anything out. This is essential.’”—Monks co-founder Wesley ter Haar, explaining why he added the chief AI officer role to his remit. Check out a deep dive on agencies’ new executive AI roles here. Just briefly Chad Stoller, UM’s global chief innovation officer, has joined PMG as global head of media, a new role at the independent agency. Stoller will lead innovation for PMG’s media teams, the agency stated. Natural pet food brand Instinct Pet Food has chosen Known as its media agency of record without a competitive review. Omnicom’s BBDO was the incumbent agency, according to a Known spokesperson. Grey promoted Conrad Persons to the new role of CEO of London. He had served as president since 2023. Creator Deck, a woman- and minority-owned influencer and social marketing agency, has named serial entrepreneur Jordan Warren as CEO. Warren has founded agencies including Eleven, Argonaut and TBD Advertising. Contributing: Brian Bonilla Data-driven Marketing Playbook: Join industry leaders on May 22 to explore how data can drive marketing strategies, optimize media buying and improve customer engagement. Learn more here.

Agency news you need to know this week

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