Omnicom Media wins most of Lidl’s European media account. Havas gets Germany

Omnicom Media will handle Lidl’s media planning and buying in more than 25 of the 30 European markets in the discounter’s review, Campaign reported on 30 October 2026. Havas Media Network takes Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Germany’s Horizont also reported that Omnicom won most of the account.

Omnicom gets about $783m of Lidl’s $1.03bn budget

Ad data firm COMvergence puts the whole account at $1.03bn a year. Its estimate gives Omnicom about $783.4m and Havas about $248.7m. Omnicom kept markets it already ran, including the UK, Italy, Sweden, Romania and Bulgaria. Campaign said the deal also gives Omnicom a technology role. Lidl has not named the markets beyond these.

Omnicom has won other big European accounts too. It took L’Oréal’s media in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the third quarter its media revenue grew by more than 10%.

Lidl wants one set-up across 30 countries

A Lidl spokesperson said the company is bringing its national media budgets in 30 countries into one structure. The goal is to mix savings at international level with local market knowledge. The review started in June 2026 and was run from Germany. All five big agency groups took part, Italy’s Brand News reported. Lidl is now also looking for a new creative agency.

Kaufland started its own review in June

Lidl is not the only Schwarz Group chain moving its media. Horizont reported on 8 June 2026 that Kaufland, Lidl’s sister chain, had also called a media review. That gives the big agency groups a second large retail account to fight over in Europe.

The new contracts with Omnicom Media and Havas Media Network start on 1 March 2027. Lidl has not said which agencies will run the few markets outside the deals named so far.