Attention Arc

Attention Arc is a US-based media agency launched in 2024 by Cheil North America, the American arm of South Korean marketing conglomerate Cheil Worldwide. The agency was formed by consolidating two established media operations: the media-buying division of McKinney (the creative agency also owned by Cheil) and Lockard & Wechsler Direct (LWD), a performance media specialist that Cheil acquired in 2023. With approximately 150 staff and 80 clients, Attention Arc launched with over $500 million in media billings, positioning it immediately as a significant independent-style media agency in the US market. Attention Arc serves as Cheil North America's dedicated US media anchor brand, offering a full spectrum of media services that span both traditional brand-building media and direct response/performance media. The integration of LWD's direct response heritage with McKinney's broader media planning capabilities gives the agency a differentiated offering that bridges upper-funnel brand awareness and lower-funnel performance outcomes. This dual capability is increasingly valued by marketers seeking unified media accountability across the purchase funnel. In the competitive US media agency landscape, Attention Arc enters as a challenger to established independents and holding company media networks. Its backing from Cheil Worldwide — itself a subsidiary of Samsung — provides financial stability and potential access to global resources and technology, while its independent brand positioning allows it to compete for clients seeking alternatives to the major holding company agency groups such as GroupM, Publicis Media, and Dentsu.