BMW of North America has named Omnicom’s Critical Mass as its agency of record for national and regional media in the Americas Region after a competitive pitch.
For the first time, BMW of North America is consolidating off-line media services for BMW, Mini, and BMW Motorrad in the U.S., Canada, and Latin American markets. Spending in the region by the client this year is estimated at $150 million, according to agency research firm COMvergence.
Another $200 million in digital spending is earmarked for the region this year, per COMvergence. Critical Mass is the incumbent, and that assignment remains under review.
The agency, which has been a BMW roadster shop for seven years, has been awarded a five-year contract that begins on January 1.
BMW enlisted Ebiquity to lead a multidiscipline review process. In addition to digital media, reviews of the company’s lead creative agency (currently Goodby Silverstein & Partners, also part of Omnicom), social media, and CRM agencies are ongoing and expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Critical Mass will take over the America’s media account from incumbent Universal McCann, which originally won the BMW business in 2009, and added the Mini business in 2016.
BMW’s current agency roster in the U.S. also includes Interpublic’s Performance Art (data and CRM) and Anchor Worldwide (social media).
