25 January, 1991
Abbott Mead Vickers and BBDO are to merge. The two agencies have ended a
week of intense speculation by announcing they will join forces under
the Omnicom umbrella.
The link-up creates a new pounds 130 million billing top ten agency to
be called Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.
As predicted in Campaign last week, Omnicom is to buy the 22.9 per cent
of Abbott Mead currently held by the WPP agency, Scali McCabe
Sloves.
Omnicom is to pay 245p per share for the stake, for a total pounds 7.7
million.
Abbott Mead’s joint chairman, Peter Mead, confirmed he would remain in
that role within the merged agency as will joint chairman and creative
director, David Abbott, and the chief executive, Michael Baulk.
Abbott described BBDO as ’an outstanding network with compatible
creative capabilities and management attitudes’.
BBDO clients include Pepsi, Gillette, Apple, Alberto Culver and Wrigley.
