Two significant losses for Omnicom too: US home improvement giant Lowe's has dropped longtime creative agency BBDO New York, and will instead farm out creative projects to a trio of roster shops: EP &

MDC +3.3%, Dentsu 2.8%, Publicis +2.2%, Omnicom +1.6%, WPP revenues +1.2%, WPP net ex pass-throughs -1.3%, Havas -2.1%. For the year, MDC +7.0%, Omnicom +3.0%, Interpublic +1.8%, Publicis +0.8%, Dentsu

followed by Publicis, Omnicom and Dentsu. The Y&R brand is being consigned to history in South Africa after several years of weak performance. The last remaining outpost in Johannesburg is being merged

Omnicom's 4Q figures were weaker than several recent quarters, marked by a organic declines in two of its biggest markets, North America (down 0.8%) and UK (down 0.7%). Latin America was also down. However

Omnicom has yet to schedule 4Q results, but presumably they are imminent. In the mean time, though, DDB elevated Wendy Clark, who currently heads the network in North America, to global CEO & president.

Publicis Groupe's Starcom and Zenith and Omnicom's OMD split buying responsibilities in different markets. Another sizeable review (but not quite as big as Mars), was called by hard-pressed UK supermarket

In the news this past week: Agencies Omnicom announced the merger of UK media agency Rocket - traditionally a satellite of PHD - into the local office of Hearts & Science, the data-driven media network

Currently the business is mostly split between Omnicom's BBDO and WPP's Y&R and MEC, though MDC-owned Anomaly also has a presence on the roster. In other assignments, independent German-American media

consolidation reduces some of the competitive threat from Omnicom's challenger network. However, PHD retains media buying and planning in a few Asia Pacific markets such as Australia. Similarly, Mindshare

but planning duties transfer to PHD. The Omnicom-owned agency is also set to win programmatic duties for Volkswagen in Germany from the beginning of 2018. That business has been managed by consultancy