AD Agencies
Dentsu Marcom flies away on Hondas’ Activa
MUMBAI: In a bid to reinforce its market leadership, Honda, launched a new campaign for its first personal compact scooter offering under the brand name ACTIVA-I.
The campaign was conceptualised by Denstu Marcom on the brief that the customers desire an automatic scooter for daily commute, which is lightweight, compact and easy to handle yet comfortable for both genders.
Dentsu Marcom NCD Titus Upputuru said, “As children, most of us have played the chidhya udh, totha udh, maina udh game. It’s when we become adults and start leaving our homes and begin earning that we actually start udhna. The game combines with young men and women setting out of homes with optimism to inspire young people to come out of homes and fly. This also brings alive the iconic symbol of Honda, the wing mark, in a refreshing manner.”
Added, agency’s account management VP Abhinav Kaushik, “Today’s young generation is not ridden by any past baggage. They are supremely confident, they think differently, they have a can-do attitude and they are charting new territories. They are willing to ride into the future knowing fully well what they want out of life. This expression udh or ‘ready to fly’ captures the mindset of this generation that has the desire to excel, follow their own direction and happily take on the challenges of the life ahead.”
The campaign works on the approach that Indian youth today finds new ways to show the world that ‘I am standing on my feet, and powering myself on my own dreams and ambitions’. They are affirmative and seek identity independence, in everything they do.
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India VP Yadvinder S. Guleria said, “From its first family scooter Activa, Honda has always understood the pulse of the nation in its journey as undisputed leader in automatic scooter industry. Addressing the need of today’s customers, Honda has now brought the next revolution in personal lightweight mobility. The new Activa-i empowers Indian customers to be “Ready to Fly”. The Dream mileage of 60kmpl powered by the revolutionary Honda Eco Technology, features like combi-brakes, lightweight and compact design ensures that Honda is the customers trusted partner for every empowering ride.”
AD Agencies
Omnicom doubles synergy target to $1.5 billion, flags more job cuts after IPG deal
Advertising giant targets deeper job cuts and restructuring by mid-2028
NEW YORK: Global advertising group Omnicom Group has sharply escalated its cost-cutting ambitions following its acquisition of Interpublic Group, doubling its annual synergy target to $1.5 billion by mid-2028, according to media reports.
The bulk of the savings, $1 billion a year, will come from labour costs, according to Omnicom’s fourth-quarter earnings presentation. This signals further job cuts, restructuring and the relocation of roles to lower-cost markets.
The tougher stance comes just months after Omnicom announced 4,000 redundancies in December, immediately after closing the IPG transaction.
Presentation slides show labour-related synergies accelerating over the next three years, rising to $645 million in 2026, $920 million in 2027 and $1 billion by 2028. The company said the savings will be delivered through a mix of headcount reductions, offshoring and near-shoring, alongside outsourcing selected back-office functions.
Beyond payroll, Omnicom expects to extract $240 million from real estate consolidation and a further $260 million from IT, procurement and operational efficiencies.
The revised $1.5 billion target is double the $750 million estimate flagged when the IPG deal was announced in late 2024, underscoring a more aggressive integration push than previously signalled.
Chief executive John Wren said Omnicom aims to deliver $900 million of the synergies by the end of 2026, with the full run-rate achieved within 30 months. On the earnings call, Wren and chief financial officer Phil Angelastro said early integration efforts had focused on eliminating duplicated corporate and operational functions.
“Unfortunately, you couldn’t keep two of everything,” Angelastro said, pointing to executive and structural overlaps created by the merger.
The restructuring has also led to a simplification of agency brands and reporting lines. Legacy networks such as DDB Worldwide, FCB and MullenLowe Group have been dismantled as standalone entities, with the group reorganised around nine “connected capabilities”, including Omnicom advertising and Omnicom media.
Omnicom is also expanding a unified resourcing model built around offshore hubs in Colombia, Costa Rica and India, which are expected to take on a larger share of delivery and support functions.
Angelastro said artificial intelligence was not the primary driver of staffing reductions, though automation and AI are being explored to lift productivity.
Omnicom expects total headcount to settle at about 105,000 employees, down from a combined 128,000 at the end of 2024. Around 10,000 roles will fall off payroll through divestments and exits from non-core agency assets.
Investors cheered the expanded savings plan. Omnicom shares jumped more than 15 per cent to close above $80, buoyed by the higher synergy target and a separate $5 billion share buyback programme. Analysts at Bank of America called the moves “key positives”, though flagged the absence of organic growth guidance for 2026.
The New York–headquartered group reported an annual net loss of $54.5 million on revenue of $17.3 billion, reflecting one month of IPG contribution and heavy one-off costs linked to the merger and restructuring.
Omnicom will host an investor day on 12 March, where it is expected to outline further integration milestones and capital allocation priorities.
