When the Federal Trade Commission approved a massive merger between the two advertising agencies earlier this week, regulators imposed restrictions on ideological and political collusions that could have widespread implications.
On June 23, the committee approved the $13.5 billion acquisition of Omnicom Group Inc.’s Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. However, in the order of consent, the agency responsible for protecting American consumers has banned what was identified as coordinated boycotts and discrimination in the placement of advertising based on a political perspective.