What DDB Aotearoa does

DDB Aotearoa is a New Zealand-based creative advertising agency operating as the lead "Emotional Advantage Agency" within DDB Group Aotearoa. The agency offers integrated capabilities spanning brand, retail, culture, insights, social and design, targeted primarily at consumer-facing brand owners in New Zealand. Its core technology differentiator is the proprietary Feels Barometer research tool, which the company describes as using natural language processing and predictive analytics to decode consumer emotions at scale and inform creative development. Featured client work includes the "Certified Toasters" campaign for Vogel's (CPG) and the "Correct The Internet" campaign for Team Heroine (non-profit).

The agency's revenue model is professional services-based, with project-driven engagements acquired through a relationship-led, direct enterprise sales motion. Prospective clients engage via a "Let's talk / Get in touch" contact channel on the DDB Group website, supported by a content portfolio of case studies. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. DDB Aotearoa sits within a broader multi-brand ecosystem alongside sibling sub-brands Mango, TRACK, Tribal and Takitoru, all under the DDB Group Aotearoa umbrella.

As of December 2025, DDB Aotearoa is being phased out as part of a global merger that will combine the agency with FCB to form McCann Group NZ, with redundancies expected. Headcount and revenue figures are not disclosed in available sources. The company has received three small R&D grants from Callaghan Innovation (totalling approximately NZD $186K across 2022, 2023 and 2024) to support capability development including the Feels Barometer tool.

Name

DDB Aotearoa

Legal name

DDB Group Aotearoa

Website

https://ddb.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Acquired

Short description

DDB Aotearoa is a New Zealand-based creative advertising agency and lead sub-brand of DDB Group Aotearoa, delivering emotion-led brand, retail, culture, insights, social and design services to consumer-facing brand owners, supported by its proprietary Feels Barometer research tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181), Direct Mail Advertising (54186)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Advertising services
• Creative campaigns
• Brand strategy
• Consumer insights
• Design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Creative & Advertising Services: Revenue generated through client engagements for brand, retail, culture, insights, social and design work delivered as advertising and creative services to brand owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DDB Aotearoa is an advertising and creative agency offering emotion-led creative services across brand, retail, culture, insights, social, and design. The agency positions itself as the "Emotional Advantage Agency," using its proprietary Feels Barometer research tool to decode consumer emotions at scale and produce creative work intended to move people, culture, and business outcomes for brand clients.

Product overview

DDB Aotearoa operates as a multi-brand creative/advertising platform under the DDB Group Aotearoa umbrella. DDB itself is the lead "Emotional Advantage Agency" offering capabilities across Brand, Retail, Culture, Insights, Social, and Design, and is supported by its proprietary Feels Barometer research tool for decoding emotions at scale. The DDB brand is one of several sibling sub-brands within the group, alongside Mango, TRACK, Tribal, and Takitoru, each accessed via dedicated navigation entries on the DDB Group website. Featured client work surfaced on the DDB brand page includes the Certified Toasters campaign for Vogel's and the Correct The Internet campaign for Team Heroine. Per December 2025 reporting, the DDB Aotearoa brand is being phased out as part of a global merger combining DDB with FCB to form McCann Group NZ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mango: Brand listed within the DDB Group Aotearoa navigation as a related agency.
• TRACK
• Tribal
• Takitoru

Products and services

• Brand Advertising Services Emotion-led brand advertising and creative campaign development for brand owners across consumer-facing categories. The lead offering of the DDB agency targeting enterprise brand marketers seeking creative work that drives measurable growth.
• Retail Creative Services Retail-specific creative and activation services designed to drive footfall, shopper engagement, and retail brand differentiation for retail/FMCG clients.
• Culture Campaign Services Cultural and social campaign development that taps into cultural truths, helping brands shape and participate in consumer culture rather than merely react to it.
• Consumer Insights Research Insights-driven research services supported by the proprietary Feels Barometer tool to decode consumer emotions at scale and inform creative strategy for brand clients.
• Social Media Creative Services Social media creative services developing emotion-led social campaigns and content for brand clients across social platforms.
• Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Claims the most creatively awarded campaigns are ten times more efficient at driving growth

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• DDB GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDB Aotearoa operates as part of the broader DDB Group network. The agency is one of several sub-brands within the group, alongside Mango, TRACK, Tribal and Takitoru, sharing the group's infrastructure and brand identity.
• FCBflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDB Aotearoa is being merged with FCB under a global merger to create McCann Group NZ. The DDB Aotearoa brand will be phased out and redundancies are expected as the two agencies are consolidated.
• McCann Group NZflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew entity formed from the merger of DDB Aotearoa and FCB. DDB Aotearoa's brand and operations are being transitioned into this combined New Zealand group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand:
• FCB New Zealand: FCB NZ is the direct counterparty in the McCann Group NZ merger. Operates the same full-service creative/advertising model serving enterprise brand clients in New Zealand, and is the most direct peer given the pending combination.
• Colenso BMB: One of New Zealand's most awarded creative agencies, offering integrated brand, retail, and digital creative services to enterprise clients in the same domestic market as DDB Aotearoa. Directly competes for the same CPG and brand-owner budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DDBAotearoa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DDB Aotearoa