BBDO vs dentsu

Andrew Robertson succeeds Ruhanen as CEO of Omnicom Advertising

Omnicom Advertising, the advertising division of Omnicom Group, is undergoing a leadership change. The current head of the division, John Ruhanen, is stepping down with immediate effect and retiring. His successor is Andrew Robertson, the former worldwide CEO of BBDO. The announcement was made via a press release from Omnicom, citing the reasons for the sudden change. The article is currently behind a paywall, as the full text is not available to non-subscribers, and the details beyond the headline and introductory paragraph are restricted.

Gesa Geissel Promoted to Marketing Director at Henkel Beauty

Gesa Geissel has been promoted to Marketing Director for Beauty Care in the German-speaking region (DE-CH) at Henkel Consumer Brands. She now oversees the marketing for hair and body care brands including Schwarzkopf, Syoss, Fa, and Gliss in Germany and Switzerland. Geissel joined Henkel in 2006 after starting her career at BBDO and has worked in the cosmetics division since. She reports to Simone Gudlick, VP Marketing DE/CH. This appointment comes as Henkel has consolidated its media and creative agency accounts with WPP agencies this year.

• Gesa Geissel was promoted to Marketing Director Beauty Care DE-CH at Henkel Consumer Brands, effective September 2026.
• She is responsible for marketing the hair and body brands Schwarzkopf, Syoss, Fa, and Gliss in Germany and Switzerland.
• Geissel reports to Simone Gudlick, VP Marketing DE/CH, and started her career at BBDO before joining Henkel in 2006.

Snickers Launches Hungr.AI Campaign Addressing AI Errors

Snickers, in collaboration with ad agency BBDO, has introduced 'Hungr.AI,' a digital expansion of its famous 'You're Not You When You're Hungry' campaign. Designed for the AI era, the campaign humorously suggests that artificial intelligence tools make mistakes, or 'hallucinate,' because they are hungry. Consumers are encouraged to copy a digital Snickers bar from a dedicated campaign website and paste it into their AI assistants. Doing so unlocks an interactive experience on Reddit or Snapchat, resulting in a coupon for a free physical Snickers candy bar.

• Snickers and BBDO launched the 'Hungr.AI' campaign targeting AI hallucinations.
• Users can copy a digital candy bar from the campaign website and paste it into AI assistants.
• The campaign offers a free physical Snickers bar for participating in the digital experience.

AI Agents Emerge as Key Holiday Shoppers

At The Advertising Club of New York's Commerce Media Exchange Conference, executives from Wevo, Dentsu, and Mastercard discussed the growing influence of AI agents on commerce and advertising. Nitzan Shaer, CEO of Wevo, cited Adobe data showing that 20% of holiday shopping experiences in 2025 were influenced by AI agents, with conversion rates 40% higher for agent-influenced purchases by March 2026. Jen Bryce of Dentsu highlighted the shift from search bars to agents pre-filtering options and the use of AI agents for continuous media planning and optimization. Nili Klenoff of Mastercard emphasized the importance of brand trust and product data legibility for agents. The panel also covered the use of synthetic audiences for campaign testing, balancing automation with human judgment, and the need for marketers to measure agent-driven traffic separately.

• 20% of 2025 holiday shopping experiences were influenced by AI agents, according to Adobe data cited by Wevo's CEO.
• Agent-influenced purchases converted about 40% better than non-agent traffic by March 2026.
• Dentsu uses AI agents for continuous media buying optimization, replanning within hours or days instead of weeks.

Claudia Wolffgardt named Managing Director at dentsu X and MWO Health

Claudia Wolffgardt has been appointed Managing Director and Integrated Client Lead at dentsu X, effective immediately. She also assumes leadership of MWO Health, a brand of dentsu X, succeeding Linda-Maria Diodati, who left the agency earlier this year. This move follows the integration of MW Office into dentsu X, with MWO Health continuing as a specialized health communication brand. Wolffgardt will report to Andrea Biebl, President of iProspect, dentsu X, and MWO Health. Her role combines strategic consulting with expertise in media, creativity, customer experience, data, and technology, ensuring continuity in client relationships and strengthening collaboration between dentsu X and MWO Health. This promotion underscores dentsu's commitment to developing internal talent and is part of ongoing restructuring within dentsu Germany.

• Claudia Wolffgardt is appointed Managing Director and Integrated Client Lead at dentsu X, effective immediately.
• She also takes over leadership of MWO Health, a brand of dentsu X, succeeding Linda-Maria Diodati, who left the agency earlier this year.
• Wolffgardt will report to Andrea Biebl, President iProspect, dentsu X and MWO Health.

CTV Market Shifts Toward Buyers, Premium Inventory Remains Strong

VideoWeek gathered insights from six industry leaders across the buy- and sell-side to assess whether the CTV market currently favors buyers or sellers. The consensus is that CTV is increasingly becoming a buyer's market due to a proliferation of inventory, diversified access points, and advanced programmatic capabilities. However, premium content, such as live sports and distinctive IP, retains scarcity and gives sellers leverage. Key perspectives highlight that while buyers gain more choice and control, premium publishers like BBC Studios and Bloomberg Media maintain strong bargaining positions due to their high-quality, engaging content and trusted environments. The overall balance of power is shifting towards buyers for interchangeable inventory, but premium attention remains a seller's market.

• CTV advertising is shifting from a seller's to a buyer's market due to increased inventory and buying options.
• Premium CTV inventory, such as live sports and cultural moments, remains scarce and commands premium prices.
• Buyers have unprecedented access to inventory through programmatic platforms, enabling granular targeting and AI optimization.