Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly awards United States media duties to Zenith, a division of Publicis Groupe
In a significant shift in the pharmaceutical industry, Eli Lilly has awarded its U.S. media business to Publicis Groupe's Zenith. This change marks the end of a nearly two-decade-long partnership with OMD, which had won the business in 2002.
The media review process for Eli Lilly's account began in June and was managed by MediaLink. The review initially included Omnicom's OMD, WPP, and Dentsu. However, the shift to Zenith signifies a new direction for Eli Lilly's media strategy.
Publicis Groupe has been on a winning streak this year, securing several significant media accounts. In addition to Eli Lilly's U.S. media business, the company has also won Meta's media business through its Spark Foundry, Walmart's U.S. media business, Stellantis' global media, and Infiniti's creative business.
Eli Lilly's recent media campaigns have emphasised diversity and patient engagement, especially for new drug launches like Ebglyss. The company's overall advertising strategy aligns with its blockbuster drugs’ success and pipeline growth in 2025.
Despite the change, OMD's tenure with Eli Lilly's media business spanned almost two decades, demonstrating a long-standing relationship between the two parties. The specific reasons for the shift from OMD to Zenith are not yet clear, but it is common for large pharmaceutical companies to review or shift their media buying and creative partnerships to align with evolving marketing needs and strategic priorities.
The pharmaceutical advertising landscape has historically involved intense agency efforts and sometimes creative team turnover. Detailed current agency shifts for Eli Lilly are not shown in the search results, but it is not unusual for pharmaceutical companies to work with multiple agencies for different campaigns.
For more specific information on recent transitions involving Zenith or any other agency tied explicitly to Eli Lilly, additional specialized marketing industry sources or press releases would be required.
- The financial implications of Eli Lilly's shift in media strategy, moving from OMD to Publicis Groupe's Zenith, will impact the overall business outlook for both parties involved in the U.S. media business.
- In light of the pharmaceutical industry's evolving marketing needs and strategic priorities, the business of crafting and executing media campaigns within the pharmaceutical finance sector is witnessing dynamic changes, as demonstrated by Eli Lilly's recent switch to Publicis Groupe's Zenith.
