Bayer Appoints Interpublic as Global Media, Creative, and Production Agency Partner for Consumer Health Division
Bayer has announced a significant strategic move for its Consumer Health division, selecting Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) as its new global agency partner across media, creative, and production functions. The partnership will span worldwide marketing activities for Bayer’s iconic consumer health brands, a portfolio that includes household names such as Aspirin, Bepanthen, Claritin, and Canesten.
The decision reflects Bayer’s commitment to evolving its marketing approach at a time when consumer expectations, technological capabilities, and competitive pressures are reshaping the healthcare and wellness sector. By aligning with a single integrated global partner, Bayer intends to drive deeper consumer trust, accelerate innovation in communications, and scale its brand-building activities more effectively across diverse markets.
A New Era of Consumer Engagement
The selection of Interpublic as a consolidated global agency partner signals a shift in how Bayer aims to grow consumer love and loyalty. Historically, Bayer has managed marketing activities across different geographies through a combination of agencies, leading to variation in creative strategies and execution. By moving toward a unified agency model, Bayer is seeking both efficiency and greater resonance with consumers worldwide.
This integrated approach is designed to balance two critical forces shaping today’s marketing environment: personalization and efficiency. Consumers increasingly expect healthcare and wellness brands to speak to them as individuals, reflecting their unique needs and cultural contexts. At the same time, global companies like Bayer must achieve efficiencies of scale, ensuring consistent brand messaging, optimized media investment, and the ability to leverage cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI (GenAI).
David Evendon-Challis, a senior leader within Bayer’s Consumer Health division, highlighted the importance of this dual focus. “Our new agency model addresses two competing forces in today’s marketing landscape — the need for more connection and individuality alongside greater efficiency and automation,” he said. “IPG understands how data, AI, and creative must converge in this new era and came forward with a strong offering that brings together world-class capabilities, innovative technologies, and creativity. We are excited for them to join with us on this journey and by the opportunity of what is possible when their planned combination with Omnicom is complete.”
Why Interpublic?
Interpublic Group, one of the world’s largest advertising and marketing services companies, brings a deep portfolio of agencies, talent, and technological capabilities. With decades of expertise in media buying, creative storytelling, and digital transformation, IPG is well positioned to serve Bayer’s vision of integrated global communications.
Philippe Krakowsky, Chief Executive Officer of Interpublic Group, underscored the significance of the win for both organizations. “We are honored and energized by Bayer’s decision,” he noted. “In today’s fragmented and fast-moving marketing environment, clients are looking for partners who can integrate creativity and media with data and technology in ways that are seamless and connected. What makes this opportunity exciting is the scale and ambition of Bayer’s portfolio — trusted brands with enormous reach and impact. By bringing the full IPG ecosystem together, we will deliver bold ideas, smarter media, and technology-enabled production that accelerate growth, deepen consumer trust, and drive results across markets. We look forward to tapping additional talent and capabilities on Bayer’s behalf once we join forces with Omnicom.”
This reference to Omnicom is particularly noteworthy. Interpublic and Omnicom recently announced plans to combine operations, creating one of the most powerful global advertising groups. For Bayer, this means that its chosen partner will not only bring IPG’s current strengths but will also be able to leverage an even broader range of talent and resources once the merger is complete.
The Role of Technology and GenAI
Central to Bayer’s new agency model is the embrace of technology, particularly artificial intelligence. In recent years, GenAI has rapidly moved from experimental applications to core marketing functions, enabling companies to generate personalized creative assets, analyze consumer data at scale, and optimize media placements in real time.
Bayer’s decision to partner with IPG reflects the growing importance of these tools in healthcare marketing. Consumers today are more informed and digitally engaged than ever before, and they expect brands to deliver content that speaks directly to their needs, concerns, and lifestyles. By leveraging AI-driven insights, Bayer aims to build deeper emotional connections with consumers while ensuring that its campaigns are both efficient and impactful.
This is especially critical in the self-care and over-the-counter (OTC) category, where consumers are empowered to make their own health decisions. Products like Claritin for allergies or Aspirin for pain relief compete in highly dynamic markets where trust, relevance, and speed of communication can determine consumer choice.
A Portfolio of Trusted Brands
Bayer’s Consumer Health division is home to some of the world’s most recognized and trusted OTC brands. Aspirin, for example, is not only a household staple but also one of the most enduring healthcare products in modern history. Claritin, a leading allergy medication, has become synonymous with relief during allergy season. Bepanthen and Canesten serve essential roles in dermatology and personal care, addressing everyday needs from skin healing to fungal infections.
Managing such a diverse and influential portfolio requires both consistency and adaptability. On the one hand, these brands must maintain their global reputation and trustworthiness. On the other, they must resonate within local markets, where cultural expectations and healthcare practices differ widely. This dual challenge is at the heart of Bayer’s decision to embrace a unified yet flexible global agency model.
Building Consumer Love Through Consistency and Relevance
The new integrated agency approach is structured to enhance Bayer’s global media buying power, allowing for more strategic allocation of resources across markets. It also provides the framework to deliver content that is more personalized and locally relevant.
By consolidating media, creative, and production under a single global partner, Bayer expects to streamline processes, reduce duplication, and ensure that campaigns are executed with both speed and precision. At the same time, the flexible operating model allows for tailoring at the local level, ensuring that consumer touchpoints remain culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate.
This is particularly important in the era of “always-on” digital marketing, where consumers interact with brands across multiple platforms and devices. Bayer’s partnership with IPG will enable real-time engagement strategies, from localized social media campaigns to targeted digital content, all underpinned by consistent global brand storytelling.
Industry Implications
Bayer’s decision to appoint a single global partner for media, creative, and production underscores a broader trend in the marketing industry. Increasingly, multinational companies are moving away from fragmented agency models toward integrated partnerships that can offer end-to-end capabilities. This trend reflects the rising complexity of marketing ecosystems, where success depends on the seamless coordination of data, technology, creativity, and media execution.
For the advertising industry, Bayer’s selection of Interpublic is both a validation of IPG’s strategy and a signal to other holding companies about the growing demand for integrated solutions. It also highlights the role of healthcare and wellness brands as leaders in adopting new approaches to consumer engagement, given the high stakes of trust, reliability, and consumer empowerment in this sector
