Ex-WPP chief Sir Martin Sorrell on WPP’s impending creative restructuring

New Delhi: When Martin Sorrell bought a controlling stake in Wire and Plastic Products plc in 1985, he was using a listed company as a vehicle to build a global marketing and advertising services group. 

Four decades on, the WPP founder said the group he built is now trying to achieve “one WPP” by “slamming brands together” with the creation of WPP Creative.

“WPP under Read (Mark Read, former WPP CEO) has been rabbiting on about ‘simplification’ for years and all they have done so far is issue press releases to slam brands together willy-nilly and destroy client and people brand value, e.g., VML+Wunderman+JWT, AQKA+Grey, and OGILVY+Grey,” said Sorrell, Founder & Executive Chairman, S4 Capital, in an exclusive chat with BestMediaInfo.com.

Sorrell added, “In my view, this is just signalling WPP’s upcoming Feb 26 2025 results and strategy review.”

He commented, “McKinsey has been called in by Cindy Rose, and I guess this is their solution, i.e. one-WPP (mirabile dictu).”

Sorrell linked WPP Creative directly to the group’s recent internal integration moves. “It follows on from the recent creation of WPP Media and WPP Production,” he said. He added, “I think it signals a one-WPP announcement at the end of February.”

WPP has said it will present its preliminary results for the year ended December 31, 2025, on Thursday, February 26, 2026. McKinsey is helping WPP to lead a major strategic review to overhaul its business under CEO Cindy Rose, drive AI-led growth, and improve efficiency.

Also Read: After WPP Media, WPP to redraw its creative structure with Ogilvy, VML and AKQA

Earlier today, February 9, 2026, the Financial Times reported that WPP is planning to align its three main creative agencies, Ogilvy, VML and AKQA, under a new umbrella called WPP Creative, while retaining the individual brands in the market.

The global reports stated that the move would sit alongside WPP’s already integrated media and production divisions, although plans could still change.

The development validates BestMediaInfo.com’s November 2025 reportage around a possible VML-Ogilvy consolidation and a wider creative restructuring at WPP. WPP is expected to issue a formal announcement on the WPP Creative development soon.

In November 2025, BestMediaInfo.com reached out to WPP amid industry chatter around a possible VML-Ogilvy amalgamation. WPP declined to comment on speculation at the time, and senior leadership in India said they were unaware of any such plan. WPP had only confirmed that a strategic business review was underway, without disclosing details.

Sorrell also criticised what he expects to be the organisational design. “The organisational matrix seems to be around discipline first, client second and geography last, similar to Omnicom, but different from Publicis,” he said. “In my view, Publicis has it right, just like Monks: geography first, client second, capability last.”

He argued that “discipline first creates too much infighting and revenue attribution conflict” and said WPP now appears to be “following the Omnicom playbook”.

Explaining it further, he said, “The new WPP Creative mirrors Omnicom Advertising, which brought BBDO, DDB and TBWA together.”

On cost implications, Sorrell said the restructure “means very significant redundancies”.

Sorrell said, “I anticipate very significant further exceptional, below-the-line 2025 charges on February 26, along with significant redundancies in the future. Omnicom and IPG have reduced their combined headcount from 127,500 when they announced the acquisition over a year ago to 104,000 recently.”

He called WPP’s strategy “carnage.” He continued, “Whatever they will try to sugarcoat through the PR pill, the ‘bears’ following WPP’s stock are saying WPP’s net revenues were down 8% in Q4 2025. So Cindy Rose has to grow revenues and cut costs all in one.”

Sorrell highlighted that WPP has taken over £1 billion in below-the-line exceptional provisions over the last 6 to 7 years, mostly in cash. “Which may explain WPP’s increasing net debt, despite often strategic asset disposals,” he ended.