Omnicom is buying Interpublic Group in a stock-for-stock deal that will create the largest ad agency in the world with combined annual revenue of almost 26bn. The deal, announced on Monday, could attract regulatory scrutiny as it seeks to merge the world's third-largest ad buyer, Omnicom, with the fourth-largest – Interpublic. The names may be unfamiliar to many Americans, but some of their marketing campaigns are iconic. Those include "Got Milk" for the California Milk Processor Board, "Priceless" for Mastercard, "Because I'm Worth It" for L'Oreal and "Think Different" for Apple. The combined company will be worth more than 30bn.

As marketers and agencies continue to seek the perfect balance between technology and creativity, Snap, R/GA and Interpublic are exploring the next generation of marketing tech by supporting a cohort of startups with promising technology. The companies R/GA selected for its eighth venture program could end up shaping the future of mobile marketing and advertising, from video creation, predictive analytics and e-commerce to artificial intelligence and content personalization. Adludio is a London-based developer of sensory ads that consider how people use their smartphones by swiping, tapping, dragging and dropping as part of their daily routine. Popwallet enables brand marketers to manage promotions and other content through mobile wallets, which are now installed on almost every smartphone. Among the video-oriented startups, Humblee makes customized videos including product demonstrations, testimonials and other kinds of footage for use on social media platforms.