Subway awards US creative to Leo

Publicis Groupe’s Leo New York has been awarded Subway’s U.S. creative account following a competitive review. Leo takes over from Dentsu, which had handled the account since late 2017, when the sandwich chain consolidated its business with an integrated team that included Carat for media. Dentsu’s social remit was not impacted by Leo’s win, according to one person familiar with the matter. “Leo will lead a fresh, new guest-centric creative strategy designed to build on Subway’s leadership in sandwiches,” Subway shared in a statement. “Dentsu Creative has been a valued lead creative agency partner for the U.S. market for nearly eight years, and they will continue to work with us on various marketing activities.” Leo and Dentsu referred calls to comment to Subway. Along with Dentsu, WPP’s Ogilvy and Interpublic Group of Cos.’ McCann pitched for the creative account, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Both agencies declined to comment. R3, which managed the Subway review, could not be immediately reached for comment. Agency Review Tracker Stay up to date with the latest account reviews Click here Subway previously told Ad Age that it was also reviewing its U.S. paid media business, but multiple people close to the situation said that process hasn’t yet started. Dentsu is the incumbent on media, too. Subway ranks as the eighth-largest restaurant chain in the U.S., with $10 billion in sales and more than 20,000 locations as of 2023, according to the latest ranking from Nation’s Restaurant News. The sandwich chain spent $282 million on U.S. measured media in 2024, down from $333 million in 2023, according to data from MediaRadar. In November, the chain announced that Global CEO John Chidsey would leave the company at the end of 2024. Carrie Walsh, Subway’s president of Europe, Middle East and Africa and former global chief marketing officer, assumed the role of interim CEO. Subway has yet to announce a new chief marketing officer. Ad Age Small Agency Awards Showcase your agency’s creativity, business success and commitment to a thriving workplace. Enter today In January, Publicis merged Leo Burnett and Publicis Worldwide to create Leo, a creative unit with over 15,000 employees in 90 countries. The combination saw “Burnett,” one of the most iconic last names in advertising, disappear. The merger followed a tough stretch for Leo Burnett. Over the last year, the agency lost business with brands including General Motors, Campbell’s Goldfish and Kellanova. Contributing: Erika Wheless

Subway awards US creative to Leo

Featured Stories