Intel Core 2 Duo:
a rather lovely thing

Intel Corp. has passed its $300 million media buying and planning account to OMD, a subsidiary of Omnicom Group.

Publicis Groupe's Starcom and Universal McCann, owned by Interpublic Group, were also courting the account. Last week OMD poached its new CEO Alan Cohen from Initiative, also owned by Interpublic.

Universal McCann has served the Intel account since March 2005. McCann Erickson, which developed Intel's meme-inspired online "PEBKAC Translator" campaign last year, will continue to handle creative. The account will otherwise be managed out of OMD's Chicago office.

The Gunn Report recently dubbed OMD the Most Creative Media Agency in the World for the fourth year running.