The Interpublic Group is holding a board meeting next Tuesday, when
it is expected to discuss whether to merge two of its advertising
networks, the Lowe Group and Ammirati Puris Lintas.
Rumoured plans that IPG will buy the MacManus Group, which owns D’Arcy,
are also likely to be addressed at the meeting.
Speculation about the merger has been rife in London for several
weeks.
It intensified last month when APL London lost the pounds 40 million
Rover account, which would have presented a clash with Lowe’s General
Motors business.
Early reports suggest that Frank Lowe, the chairman and chief executive
of Lowe, will take a leading role in the network, should the merger go
through. Tim Lindsay, European president of Lowe, is tipped to take the
top UK job.
The merger throws up surprisingly few client conflicts. However, Lowe
holds the Henkel account in Germany, which would be a direct clash with
APL’s Unilever business. APL Paris has some Toyota business, which would
conflict with Lowe’s General Motors accounts, and APL’s Dell US account
would clash with Lowe’s Sun Microsystems.
