Publicis walked away from Coca-Cola’s North American media assignment, and the contest to replace it is already narrowing. According to Digiday, Omnicom and Dentsu are the two holdcos now competing for the business, while WPP has opted not to chase a return in North America after losing the account to Publicis earlier in 2025.
How Coke became an open account
Publicis took over Coca-Cola’s North American media from WPP in spring 2025 and was in the running for the broader global assignment. That changed when Publicis landed PepsiCo’s global media business from Omnicom and stepped away from Coke. Coca-Cola has kept the rest of its global media with WPP, with Dentsu continuing to handle Japan and South Korea. The North America piece remains unresolved.
Why Omnicom looks like the frontrunner
Omnicom’s scale is the clearest advantage. It holds $35.8 billion in North American media billings, compared with $10.2 billion for Dentsu, according to Comvergence. Because Coca-Cola is said to avoid principal media buying, that scale matters: a larger buying operation can still negotiate better rates without taking principal positions.
- Readiness: Omnicom still services PepsiCo’s media needs during the transition, so it could activate a Coca-Cola team faster than building one from scratch.
- Motivation: Losing PepsiCo after nearly 30 years makes a Coke win a reputation-restoring move for the group.
- Consultant view: “If they don’t just hand this to Omnicom, then they’re going to need their head examined,” one observer told Digiday.
Dentsu’s relationship counter
Dentsu already runs Coca-Cola’s business in Japan and South Korea. While Japan is treated as a unique market, the relationship gives Takeshi Sano’s network a foothold that Omnicom does not have. Chrissie Hanson, the former CEO of OMD and now global brand president of Dentsu’s Carat, also brings direct knowledge of PepsiCo’s strategy from her time running strategy across that business.
Short-term fix, longer repitch
The same consultant believes Coke is unlikely to treat this as a settled long-term decision. The scenario being floated: award North America to Omnicom now, then repitch the full account within about 12 months. “This feels like a process that’s not over yet,” the consultant said, suggesting that Coke’s media agency roster could keep shifting for the next 18 months.
Horizon Media and PMG have also been mentioned as potential independent candidates, though no one directly involved in the pitch is commenting.
What marketers should take away
Coca-Cola’s situation shows how quickly one advertiser’s agency change can create churn for another. For marketing leaders, the key questions are familiar: how much scale do you need, how much do relationships still matter, and are you comfortable with a short-term assignment while testing a longer-term partner? With multiple holdcos facing conflict questions, expect more interim media wins—and more rapid repitches—until rosters stabilise.
Source: Digiday
