Coty moves £35m media slice into OMD network

OMD, the media buying arm of DDB Worldwide, has consolidated its hold on cosmetics and fragrances giant Coty’s media buying and planning after gaining the US, German and French business. The US business is worth $40m (£25m).

Media centralisation into the OMD network is part of a strategy by Johannes A Benckiser, now owned by Reckitt Benckiser, to develop global mega-brands.

BMP OMD handles Coty’s UK business, which includes Rimmel Cosmetics, Lancaster beauty products, Sensiq make-up, Adidas and Healing Garden fragrance lines.

OMD will take over Coty’s US account from incumbent New York-based agency Robert Geller & Associates on March 1.

In Germany, OMD is to replace More Media, part of the Publicis network, on January 1.

The date that it takes over from French incumbent Concerto – part of Havas – has yet to be decided.

Coty worldwide media director Lisa Capparelli says OMD will pick up at least one more territory, but Havas and Y&R media agencies Mediapolis and Media Edge will remain part of the company’s preferred network of suppliers. “The move to OMD is in line with chairman Peter Harf’s vision to streamline the structure of our company, both globally and regionally,” Capparelli says.

Tim McCloskey, deputy managing director of BMP OMD in London, from which the Rimmel account is run, says: “Coty is trying to bring together a lot of messages to make its brands work globally. It wants to take more control over how it places its creative message worldwide.”