Visa retains OMD to handle bulk of global media account

Visa has retained OMD to handle the lion’s share of its $650m (£330m) global media planning and buying account following an eight-month review. The Omnicom-owned agency has been reappointed to handle media duties in the US and Asia, although it is not yet clear who will handle the business in Europe.

WPP’s Mediaedge:cia is responsible for Visa Europe, including the £5m UK account, and was involved in a final head-to-head pitch with OMD for the global account. It is thought that Visa is still deciding whether to split the European business between the two agencies or to appoint just one.

Visa’s North American business, which was already handled by OMD, accounts for the bulk of the company’s global spend. Publicis-owned Starcom, which worked on the account in Canada and Latin America, and non-roster network Aegis were eliminated from the pitch at an earlier stage.

The review, which was overseen by Visa’s executive vice-president of global brand marketing John Elkins, was called in April last year.