Omnicom Group said it has gained mobile-marketing expertise with the acquisition of San Francisco-based ipsh, which helps agencies and brands build wireless promotions that use text messaging and other mobile applications, reports AdWeek. The four-year-old agency has completed 400 campaigns, including promotions for Elizabeth Arden, British Airways and Disney. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ipsh will maintain is management team, including founders Nihal Mehta and Mike Jelley.

In a July AdAge article, Mehta was quoted as saying, "Mobile is no longer a new media - it has been tested and there is a protocol" for developing campaigns.

ClickZ quotes Publicis CEO Maurice Levy as having recently said that mobile devices would ultimately become the largest and most powerful marketing channel: "We all believe that the biggest media in the world will be the cell phone, when it has the features and possibility for ads."

Mobile marketing is in its early stages in the U.S., although it is more advanced in Europe and Asia. eMarketer projects U.S. mobile-marketing spending of $218.7 million next year, reaching $434.3 million in 2009.

Recent mobile coverage:

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