Omnicom, which owns the BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide and TBWA\ advertising networks and is headed by John Wren, added accounts such as Campbell's Soup and Royal KPN last year to secure its position as the biggest new-business winner.
Omnicom's success was highlighted in a report by Credit Suisse First Boston, which valued the 925 advertising and media-buying business wins last year at $20.3bn.
WPP, the world's second-largest advertising group, came second with $781m worth of net new business. However, since the beginning of this year alone, WPP has already won new business valued at $550m from clients including Novartis and Nestle.
In third place was French group Publicis with $668m worth of net new business, followed in fourth place by Grey Global, home of Grey Worldwide and Grey Direct, which secured $552m in new business.
Interpublic, which following its acquisition of True North is now the world's largest group, came in sixth, just beaten by Havas in fifth. Bringing up the lower end of the table was B|Com3, holding company for Leo Burnett and D'Arcy, in seventh position, followed by Cordiant Communications with $299m in new business.
The only major group not to be ranked in the study was Japanese group Dentsu, the largest advertising group in Japan and which also owns 20% of B|Com3.
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