MEL President Luis Miguel Messianu on the Creative Revolution DDB Built and the Shockwave of Consolidation

Luis Miguel Messianu, President, Founder, and Chief Creative Officer of MEL, and former founder of alma (a DDB agency), issued a powerful, personal statement  regarding the industry rumors surrounding the potential “sunset” or consolidation of the legendary DDB Worldwide network following the proposed Omnicom–IPG merger.

Messianu reflected on DDB’s 75-year legacy, emphasizing that the potential loss is a philosophical and creative reckoning for the entire advertising world.

Messianu described the swirling rumors about DDB’s dissolution as a “seismic jolt to the soul of advertising—a heartbreak, a reckoning, and a test of our industry’s collective memory.” He stressed that the loss is far greater than a corporate logo:

“If DDB is swept away by the Omnicom–IPG merger, the industry will lose more than a logo—it will lose the living, breathing ideal of creative excellence that for 75 years has inspired, challenged, and humanized our business. Bill Bernbach, Keith Reinhard, Bob Scarpelli—these were not just names; they were the architects of a creative revolution that changed the world’s perception of advertising.”

Speaking as the founder of alma, which operated under the DDB family, Messianu shared the deep personal impact of the news. He noted that DDB was the platform that “not just welcomed but championed and woven into the very fabric of a global legacy” his vision for multicultural creativity.

Living Up to the Legacy: DDB Latina

Messianu recounted the immense pride and pressure of building DDB Latina alongside Juan Carlos Ortiz, emphasizing that their mission was always twofold: to deliver business results while relentlessly striving to uphold the standards of the founders.

“Alongside Juan Carlos Ortiz, raising the DDB Latina flag was always about business results; but beyond that it was about relentlessly striving to live up to the extraordinary standards set by our founders… One of the greatest honors of my professional life came in the words of Keith Reinhard, who once told me, ‘alma has done an amazing job of preserving and enhancing the legacy of DDB.'”

Messianu asserted that this validation is a “badge of pride that no corporate sunset can erase.”

While acknowledging the “industry logic” behind massive mergers—such as the potential $13.5 billion acquisition that promises new efficiency—Messianu warned that no synergy can truly erase DDB’s legacy of iconic work.

“No synergy erases a legacy: ‘Think Small,’ ‘We Try Harder,’ ‘i’m lovin’ it,’ and hundreds of campaigns redefined what daring, human storytelling could do for brands and society itself. In this flood of change, the philosophical loss looms even larger than the practical one. The river doesn’t just carry water—it carries the soul of an industry.”

Messianu ended with a call to arms for the industry: to ensure that if DDB is to be retired, its passing inspires all who believe in the power of human, honest, and fearless advertising.

“DDB’s soul will echo wherever creative courage, radical empathy, and multicultural authenticity are embraced. Whether the door says DDB or not, the current that Bill Bernbach set in motion will keep sweeping us forward—undaunted, unbroken, and utterly unstoppable. Gracias, DDB—your river roars on, and we are all part of its journey.”