WPP realigns Grey under Ogilvy in strategic agency restructuring

New Delhi: WPP has shifted its creative agency Grey to report under the Ogilvy Group, effective immediately. 

The change, described as a financial realignment rather than a merger, ends Grey’s previous reporting relationship with AKQA Group and positions it within Ogilvy’s network while maintaining its independence as a standalone brand.

According to global news reports, Grey’s global CEO, Laura Maness, will now report directly to Ogilvy’s global CEO, Devika Bulchandani. 

As per the news reports, both the leaders emphasised that Grey will retain its distinct identity, leadership structure, and client relationships. 

“Grey will continue to operate as an independent, standalone agency brand within the Ogilvy network, just as it has within AKQA Group,” a WPP spokesperson stated in global media. 

The move comes as WPP continues to streamline its operations under CEO Mark Read, who has prioritised a leaner, more integrated structure to boost profitability. Grey, founded in 1917, and Ogilvy, established in 1948, are among WPP’s oldest and most storied agency brands. 

Previously, Grey reported to AKQA Group following a 2020 integration, though the two agencies never fully merged. The shift to Ogilvy coincides with AKQA’s search for a new global CEO after the departure of Ajaz Ahmed, who recently launched his own agency, Studio.One. 

The restructuring follows broader changes at WPP, including the simplification of its media arm, GroupM, into WPP Media under a single P&L, and the merger of PR firms BCW and Hill & Knowlton into Burson. 

WPP’s creative and media stable now revolves around Ogilvy, VML, and WPP Media. It wasn’t too long ago that the roster featured a longer cast—AKQA, Grey, JWT, VML, Y&R, along with media shops like Essence, MediaCom, Mindshare, and Wavemaker.