• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, September 3, 2013

For several years, OMD and its U.S. CEO Alan Cohen have been shepherding start-ups through various projects as a way to help clients keep abreast of potentially beneficial developments in the ad tech space. One notable program has been done in conjunction with OMD client General Electric called the Incubator Awards.

Now Cohen is leaving the agency he ran for five years to incubate his own start-up. It’s called Giant Spoon. It’s a new marketing agency which will have offices in New York and Los Angeles.

Three other OMD executives are leaving the shop to co-found Giant Spoon with Cohen. They include OMD Chief Innovation Officer Jonathan Haber, OMD Ignition Factory East director Trevor Guthrie and Ignition Factory West director, Marc Simons.

Cohen describes the new shop as a “future-forward marketing consultancy, focused on idea-centric strategy, innovation, and intelligence across all platforms with technology and digital at the core.”

Cohen said that Giant Spoon would be a “force multiplier that plugs directly into our partners’ marketing departments, boosting the creative thinking and maximizing the output of the other agencies on the client’s roster.”

Added Haber: “Our commitment centers on delivering not just bold ideas but also expertly executed results.”

According to Cohen the agency will serve multiple sectors of the industry including marketers, startups and media companies. In addition to consulting and strategic services, Giant Spoon will also provide “boutique creative services.”  

No word yet however on charter clients. Cohen says he has some, but is not yet ready to identify them. “Stay tuned,” is all he will say for now.

OMD parent Omnicom Media Group is backing the Giant Spoon project. It is taking a minority stake in the new agency. Beyond confirming the investment details are not yet being divulged.