It was a year of massive media reviews, including those from Uber, Geico, Kimberly-Clark, Verizon, Constellation Brands and BMW.  And 2023 saw its share of creative reviews as well.

The biggest review came from Pfizer, which shifted both its creative and media accounts, but there were many significant moves beyond that. Here, in alphabetical order, are 10 of the most notable.

Amazon shops for a new media agency

In late September, Amazon, the largest ad spender in the U.S. and globally, confirmed it had begun looking for a potential new media agency.

“As part of our regular course of business, we routinely review existing business relationships with third-party vendors and partners, and based on those reviews, may decide to solicit proposals from vendors interested in working with us. We look forward to the proposal process in this case and will evaluate the right next steps for our businesses once we’ve reviewed submissions,” Brad Glasser, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement.

In 2022, Amazon boosted worldwide advertising and promotion spending by 22% to $20.6 billion.

The incumbent is IPG’s Initiative, which handles media buying, media planning and media strategy for various pieces of Amazon’s business, including everything from Amazon Ads and Amazon Prime Video to Amazon Web Services and Whole Foods. This is familiar territory for IPG, which successfully defended the account in 2017.

Read more: The world’s 25 biggest advertisers, ranked 

BMW picks Omnicom for media, other accounts in limbo

BMW started the year with a bang when it began a procurement-mandated review in North America for its creative, media, social and CRM accounts in the first week of January.

The automaker made its first decision in the review when it selected Omnicom to handle media buying and planning for the U.S., Canada and Latin America, including Mexico, in October. 

Omnicom will be responsible for the BMW brand in addition to BMW-owned Mini and the automaker’s motorcycle business, known as Motorrad. The holding company is expected to create a bespoke unit led by its Critical Mass agency to handle the business.

BMW spent $98.9 million in measured media in the U.S. in 2022, up from $80.2 million in 2021.

Interpublic was the incumbent on all of the accounts except for Brazil, where WPP’s Ogilvy handled the business. IPG, whose UM unit held the U.S. account, participated in the review.

Constellation Brands toasts IPG’s Initiative

In June, Constellation Brands—one of the largest beer companies in the U.S.—appointed Initiative as its media agency of record in the U.S. following a review that began four months prior.

Horizon previously held the account since 2009. 

Constellation's brands include Corona, Modelo and Pacifico beers as well as a portfolio of wine and spirits brands including Svedka vodka, Casa Noble tequila and Kim Crawford wine. The alcohol beverage company was the 71st largest U.S. ad spender in 2022, having spent $837.3 million.

News of the agency shift also came around the same time that Modelo surpassed Bud Light as the nation’s top-selling beer in the four weeks that ended June 3.

Geico’s gecko gets a new home

After a 25-plus-year tenure with Horizon Media, Geico put its media account into review in October 2022.

Five months later, Geico selected IPG’s Mediabrands as its new media agency. The move further consolidated Geico’s business within IPG given that The Martin Agency already handled its creative business.

Geico is the third largest advertiser in the U.S., according to Ad Age’s Datacenter, having spent $1.5 billion on U.S. measured media in 2022.

General Mills picks IPG’s UM

In October, General Mills appointed Interpublic Group of Cos.’ UM as its global media agency of record following a review reported in March and led by Mediasense.

GroupM’s Mindshare previously handled media in the U.S. and most of the client’s global markets following a consolidation in 2015.

In the fiscal year ending May 2023, General Mills, the owner of 100 brands including Annie’s, Cheerios and Fiber One, spent $810 million on worldwide advertising and media, according to its annual regulatory filing. In 2022, it spent $500.4 million in measured media in the U.S., according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics.

Kimberly-Clark moves U.S. media to Publicis

It was first reported in March that Kimberly-Clark, which owns Kleenex, Cottonelle, Huggies and other household and personal care brands, had put its U.S. media account in review. 

Six months later Publicis Groupe came out as the winner of the account, which was previously handled by Mindshare.

In 2022, Kimberly-Clark spent $901 million on global advertising expenses according to a regulatory filing. The U.S. makes up a large portion of that spending. Last year, Kimberly-Clark spent $284 million in measured media according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics, down slightly from the $304 million spent in 2021.

Starting in 2024, the account will be handled by a bespoke Publicis solution called K-C One, which includes Epsilon, Spark Foundry and Profitero. The appointment is an expansion of Kimberly-Clark’s relationship with Publicis, as it had already been working with Epsilon.

Kraft Heinz consolidates under Dentsu’s Carat

In September, Kraft Heinz decided to move its U.S. media account to Dentsu’s Carat following a review handled by Mediasense.

The incumbent was Publicis Groupe’s Starcom, which had a longtime relationship with the food giant and retained the U.S. account the last time it was up for review in 2020. Carat had already been handling media internationally for the company.

It’s a significant account, given that 70% of Kraft’s sales came from the U.S. last year. Kraft spent $207 million in U.S. measured media in 2022, according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics. Kraft Heinz previously disclosed 2022 worldwide advertising expenses of $945 million.

Papa Johns places orders for two new agencies

In August, Papa Johns launched a review of its U.S. marketing agencies. The review included both creative, held by Camp + King, and media, held by Havas Media, since 2019.

Dentsu’s Carat won the U.S. media account in November, and The Martin Agency was awarded the creative piece in December.

In 2022, Papa Johns spent $182.6 million on measured media, according to Vivvix, which includes paid social data from Pathmatics. That’s a decline from the $195 million the pizza chain spent in 2021.

Pfizer’s multibillion-dollar prize

Pfizer initiated the largest review of the year when it put its creative, media, PR and production accounts up for grabs in February. The account was specifically significant since Pfizer became one of the most recognizable brands in the world over the past few years since it is one of the main providers of the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots

Nearly every holding company was vying for the multibillion-dollar account. Last year, New York-based Pfizer spent $2.8 billion on worldwide advertising, up from $2 billion in 2021. Just three months later, the business was awarded to Publicis as the company’s “integrated global engine” and Interpublic Group of Cos. as its lead creative partner.

Popeyes picks McKinney

Popeyes Louisiana Chicken became a hot brand over the past few years as its chicken sandwich grew in popularity. However, in February the chicken restaurant chain put its creative account in review after previously working with Gut. 

The decision was made after Jeff Klein joined Popeys as chief marketing officer in 2022. Klein previously handled marketing at Little Caesars, a McKinney client.

At the start of the review, McKinney was appointed as lead creative agency on a six-month project basis. That status didn’t last long—McKinney was appointed as Popeyes’ creative agency of record nearly two months later. In the same month, McKinney launched its first work for the chicken chain which focused on Popeyes’ New Orleans roots.

Popeyes spent $194 million on U.S.-measured media in 2022, according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics.

Uber takes a ride with Omnicom

In September, Uber awarded the bulk of its media business to Omnicom Media Group following a review that began three months prior. As a result, Omnicom was given Uber’s media business in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The account encompasses both Uber’s rideshare and delivery businesses.

The business had been handled by GroupM’s Mediacom since 2020, prior to its merger with Essence last year. EssenceMediacom retained Uber’s Asia Pacific business.

In 2022, Uber spent $1.7 billion on global advertising, according to its latest annual filing.

Verizon calls on Ogilvy for its creative account

Just four months after it was announced that Diego Scotti, Verizon’s CMO, would depart after 10 years with the telecommunications company, another big shift was made. Ogilvy, which had been previously handling Verizon’s B2B business, was named the lead creative agency for Verizon.

McCann had held the account since 2015, which is expected to officially shift to Ogilvy in 2024. Verizon was the 5th largest advertiser in the U.S. in 2022, having spent $1.4 billion in measured media, according to Ad Age’s Datacenter. Globally, Verizon spent $3.6 billion on advertising, according to its annual regulatory filing.

Prior to the change, Ogilvy launched two campaigns for Verizon centered around NFL Sunday Ticket and its new myPlan offering.

In December, Verizon named Peloton marketing executive Leslie Berland as its next CMO.