The New Zealand Commerce Commission has received a clearance application from Omnicom Group Inc, which seeks to acquire all shares of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. This acquisition involves Omnicom's wholly owned subsidiary and aims to consolidate their positions in the advertising, marketing, and communications (AMC) services market.

Omnicom, headquartered in New York, operates in over 70 countries and offers a variety of AMC services in New Zealand through well-known brands such as PHD Media, OMD Worldwide, and BBDO Worldwide. On the other hand, Interpublic, based in Delaware, serves clients in more than 100 countries and provides AMC services in New Zealand through brands like Foote, Cone & Belding and Initiative.

The Commerce Commission will evaluate the merger to ensure it does not substantially lessen competition in the market. A public version of the clearance application will soon be available on the Commission’s case register, and further details on the assessment process can be found on their website.