BBDO

Ex-Omnicom and IPG Staff Launch Indie Agencies

Former employees of holding companies Omnicom and IPG have launched a wave of independent agencies that reject traditional full-time-equivalent (FTE) commercial models. Examples include This Will Be Good (co‑founded by Bennie Reed, Daniel Beaudoing and Brian Linder), London’s Ace of Hearts (founded by Richard Brim, Martin Beverley and Polly McMorrow) and several small studios such as House of Rabbits, Memory and TightKnit. These indies emphasize lean staffing, freelance talent and alternative commercial arrangements (performance fees, project fees, subscriptions or equity). Some founders say their training at large networks provided valuable experience, but the new agencies aim to be “fitter for the future” by avoiding large overheads and traditional rate-card models.

Barmer launches 'Dimmo' social campaign against bedtime screentime

German statutory health insurer Barmer has launched a social-first campaign called “Dimmo” to discourage evening smartphone scrolling and promote better sleep. Created with creative agency BBDO and social agency STAN, the campaign stars content creator Jeannie Wagner, who discusses her own sleep-and-scroll habits in a campaign film. Barmer links the creative work to practical offerings — an online sleep seminar, the meditation app 7Mind, a “Sweet Dreams” newsletter and an e‑book — and routes traffic to a dedicated landing page. Campaign assets run across social networks (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) via paid social, video and display, supported by micro-creators and on-the-ground content formats.

Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken Launches 'Wir' Brand Campaign

Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken unveiled a nationwide brand campaign that centers on a sense of community (“Wir”). The creative and strategic concept was developed by BBDO after DDB — an Omnicom subsidiary and prior lead agency — merged into BBDO. Multiple Omnicom units support execution: Omnicom Precision Marketing/TLGG for social, 480Hz for below-the-line, and Mindshare Frankfurt together with VR-NetWorld for media. The campaign uses real customers and employees (no AI-generated faces) across 13 main spots plus additional assets, and features comedian Martina Hill in social films. A bespoke AI tool developed by BBDO Hamburg and Machine13 allows over 600 local branches to quickly generate brand-compliant local assets.