Bayer has consolidated global creative, production and media duties for its consumer health business, which includes over-the-counter drugs such as Claritin, Aleve and Alka-Seltzer, with Interpublic Group of Cos.
Incumbents WPP and Omnicom Group also participated in the review, according to people familiar with the matter. Bayer’s global media billings totaled $720 million in 2024, based on estimates from COMvergence.
The new agency structure is set to take effect on Jan. 1, Bayer stated.
The German agricultural and pharmaceutical group had worked with WPP’s EssenceMediacom on media since 2021 and has used multiple agencies for creative, including IPG’s MullenLowe and Omnicom’s BBDO.
Bayer, which also operates in prescription drugs and crop science, is also undergoing a turnaround brought on by mounting debt, legal liabilities and drug exclusivity challenges. In its second-quarter 2025 report, the conglomerate posted a net loss of €199 million, wider than the €34 million loss in the same period a year earlier.
So basically, expect even MORE posts on LinkedIn asking for healthcare ad talent. What a time to be a semi-has been Pharma ad talent.
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