AD Agencies
Y&H designs a path to victory at Goafest in design specialist category
GOA: Day two of Goafest 2025 witnessed Y&H putting pen to paper and coming up with a masterpiece performance in the design specialist category, proving that sometimes good design really is worth a thousand words—or in this case, 52 points.
The agency crafted its way to the ‘design specialist agency of the year’ title with three silvers, eight bronzes and a merit, a portfolio so impressive it left rivals wondering if they’d been using crayons whilst Y&H wielded proper brushes.
Famous Innovations managed to sketch out second place with 44 points courtesy of four silvers and five bronzes—a performance that was undeniably famous, though perhaps not quite innovative enough to topple the leader. Open Strategy & Design rounded out the podium with 30 points from two silvers, four bronzes and a merit, proving that being open about your strategy sometimes pays dividends.
McCann Worldgroup India managed a respectable 18 points with one silver, two bronzes and two merits, whilst Tribes Communication grabbed 16 points through four bronzes—the sort of consistent bronze-winning that suggests they’ve mastered the art of being consistently third-best.
The middle tier was awash with agencies earning their design stripes. Tree Design, EbbXFlo, and Havas Worldwide India each managed eight points. Tree Design and EbbXFlo both secured two bronzes apiece, whilst Havas opted for one silver and one merit—different strokes for different folks, as they say in the design world.
Leo India managed six points with three merits. Meanwhile, tgthr., Grey Group, Enormous, CCL Products (India) and Brave all clustered at four points each.
Innocean Worldwide Communication brought up the rear with two points from a single merit.
The Abby Creative Awards 2025, powered by The One Show, continued their methodical categorisation of creative excellence, with broadcaster, PR, mobile specialist, technology specialist, and direct specialist awards ensuring every possible advertising discipline gets its moment to shine.
AD Agencies
Microsoft shifts global media account from Dentsu to Publicis Groupe: Reports
Closed review ends decade-long tie-up; Xbox remit may remain with Dentsu
MUMBAI: Microsoft has reassigned its global media planning and buying business to Publicis Groupe, according to media reports, ending Dentsu’s long-standing stewardship of one of the advertising industry’s biggest accounts.
The move follows a closed review and marks a notable shake-up in the global media landscape. Dentsu, which managed the account through Carat, had held the mandate since 2014 and successfully defended it in a 2018 review.
While the broader business is shifting, Dentsu is expected to retain media responsibilities for Xbox, according to media reports, though the exact contours of that arrangement remain unclear. None of the parties involved have publicly outlined the transition timeline or the full structure of the handover.
The scale of the account underscores the significance of the change. Estimates from COMvergence, cited by Ad Age, peg Microsoft’s global media spend at roughly $700 million last year.
For Publicis Groupe, the win deepens an already expanding relationship with the tech giant. Earlier this year, Microsoft Advertising partnered with Publicis Media Exchange and Epsilon to integrate Epsilon’s data into its platform, aiming to sharpen targeting across search, native and display formats.
The decision reflects a broader industry shift, as large advertisers increasingly favour agency partners with strong first-party data capabilities, AI integration and platform-led solutions. Publicis Groupe has been leaning into this model, positioning its data assets and technology stack as a central differentiator.
For Dentsu, the loss is significant. Media remains a core pillar of its global business, and the development comes close on the heels of leadership changes, including the appointment of Takeshi Sano as global chief executive officer.
The shift also carries a touch of irony. Microsoft and Dentsu have worked closely beyond the client-agency relationship, including collaborations around AI tools such as Copilot to support media and creative workflows.
As the dust settles, the message is clear: in today’s data-driven, AI-powered media world, relationships may be long, but they are rarely permanent.
