BBDO Combines LA, SF and Texas Offices to Form West BBDO

BBDO has merged its Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Texas offices to form a new, unified agency: West BBDO. Led by Matt Miller as both CEO and CCO, the new unit aims to bring a more diverse creative perspective to clients across the western US. Matt will continue to serve as CCO for AT&T through Team Omnicom.

BBDO LA and Texas originally opened their doors in 2017 to better service the AT&T business after Omnicom media agency Hearts & Science won the media account and BBDO retained the creative account. A BBDO press release says that while AT&T remains a priority for these markets, they have since expanded their capabilities and talent pool, allowing them to take on additional clients.

The vision behind the merging of these three entities feeds into BBDO’s global commitment to move from a network to more of a community, a key driver behind its recent repositioning under ‘Do Big Things’. “To go from siloed offices working independently,” says Nancy Reyes, BBDO’s global CEO who spearheaded the shift alongside global CCO Chris Beresford-Hill, “to a community where best practices are shared, brands are put front and centre, and where help and advice is but a text away. We are stronger together.

“Matt can always see potential,” adds Nancy. “He works fast, constantly putting together pieces to make something beautiful and impactful. He exudes energy, confidence, optimism, and the gift of being constantly inspired. Matt is a magnet for talent, for clients, for ambition, and for excellent creative product.”

Though based in three cities, West BBDO will operate as a single agency with one leadership team, unified culture, and shared creative vision. What’s more, Matt believes that there is an undeniable spirit, ethos and core strength to be found in every US city that, if leveraged correctly, can have a meaningful impact on the kind of work West BBDO does, and the way that it does it.

“LA’s roots in fame and optimism, San Francisco’s leadership in innovation and technology, and Texas’ grit and humanity,” he says, “are distinct characteristics that have the potential to anchor a completely unique perspective and set of skills from those that can be derived from New York, Chicago, Atlanta, etc.” It’s up to Matt and the leadership team to tap into those differences in meaningful ways. “Too often I think agencies ignore the uniqueness their geography can give them.”

Fuelling his plans for the future of West BBDO is a long-standing belief of Matt’s. That advertising, for a creative industry, falls short when it comes to being creative about its own industry and the ways in which it works. “How can we move faster? How can we do more with less? How could we integrate better? How do we make better work that more people genuinely love?” These are not just business problems, he says. They are creative challenges, too. “Creatively solving our own business problems should be as clear an expectation for a CEO as creatively solving a client’s business problem is for a CCO.

“My hope is that West BBDO reaches better work than ever before through completely new ways of working. Ways that are smarter, fresher, more effective and more inspiring for everyone!”

And, of course, he hopes to Do Big Things. “Things that make the biggest impact, that draw the most people in, that truly matter both in culture and to our brand’s bottom lines – we need the widest perspectives. By combining the cultures and strengths of these very distinct places, the agency has the widest perspective to draw from.

“I mean, in many ways San Francisco, Los Angeles and Texas couldn’t be more different. But that’s exactly what makes it so effective!”