Omnicom Group plans full buyout of Clemenger Group

Omnicom Group is advancing plans to increase its stake in Clemenger Group from 86.84% to full ownership, acquiring the remaining 13.16% primarily held by Clemenger’s employees through a longstanding staff share scheme. Shareholders are expected to vote on the proposed deal at a general meeting scheduled for 30 June 2025, according to a report in The Australian.

 

Clemenger Group is a leading marketing communications network across Australia and New Zealand, known for its creative and integrated marketing services for clients such as Samsung, Mars, and 7-Eleven. The group operates multiple agencies, including Clemenger BBDO and Colenso BBDO, and has maintained a strong culture of employee ownership since 1973.

 

Omnicom’s BBDO Worldwide initially purchased a 35% stake in Clemenger in 1972, increasing it to 74% in 2011 and currently holding 86.84%. The buyout would give Omnicom full ownership of its creative agency portfolio in the region, including agencies within the Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG) such as TBWA, DDB, and Clemenger and Colenso BBDO.

 

OAG was established in August 2024 to consolidate Omnicom’s creative agencies under one umbrella. It is led by global CEO Troy Ruhanen, an Australian expat who assumed the role in January 2025.

 

 

As part of its broader Oceania strategy, Omnicom is preparing to launch a new regional management structure that would further integrate Omnicom Media Group and Omnicom Advertising Group. Industry reports indicate that Nick Garrett, a former Clemenger BBDO and Colenso BBDO CEO who now works at Deloitte Digital, is tipped to lead this combined Omnicom group in Oceania. Garrett’s appointment would reflect Omnicom’s intent to unify leadership and drive growth across its creative and media agencies in the region.

 

The acquisition coincides with the planned retirement of Clemenger’s long-serving chairman, Robert Morgan, who is stepping down after 46 years. Morgan played a pivotal role in Clemenger’s growth and in fostering its employee ownership culture. His departure marks the end of an era and signals a new chapter under Omnicom’s majority ownership.

 

Omnicom’s move to fully acquire Clemenger also occurs amid its ongoing negotiations to merge with Interpublic Group (IPG), a deal announced in December 2024 and currently under regulatory review in Australia and New Zealand. The combined entity would retain the Omnicom name and further consolidate the global advertising landscape.