WPP’s Ogilvy has concluded its tenure as IBM’s creative agency of record, bringing a 32-year partnership – one of the longest in modern advertising – to a close.
An Ogilvy spokesperson told MARKETING- INTERACTIVE the agency would not to participate in IBM’s creative RFP.
“We are immensely proud of our 32-year partnership, a tenure nearly unrivaled in this industry. Together, we have built one of the world’s most iconic brands through campaigns that defined eras of technological progress. While we have chosen not to move forward in this process, we celebrate our shared history and wish the IBM team continued success.”
The relationship started in 1994, when IBM placed its US$500 million advertising business with Ogilvy, leading to campaigns that shaped the company’s identity over multiple eras. The two firms celebrated the three-decade milestone in August 2024 at Ogilvy’s 3 World Trade Center headquarters.
The separation comes after Ogilvy opted not to participate in IBM’s upcoming creative agency review, according to multiple media reports. The decision was said to be primarily commercial, driven by long-standing balance-of-trade issues between WPP and IBM rather than any concerns over Ogilvy’s creative work. IBM had previously launched a review of its media account in December 2025, which incumbent WPP Media also chose not to join.
This comes after WPP decided to bring its three main creative advertising agencies under one banner, WPP Creative. The three creative agencies including Ogilvy, VML and AKQA will be retained under the banner, but will continue to operate independently, according to the Financial Times.
The move aims to simplify the advertising giant’s offerings to clients by bringing in more integrated services across the business. WPP Creative will sit alongside WPP Production, the group’s newly launched integrated media and production division.
Earlier in January this year, WPP united its production expertise, including Hogarth, into WPP Production. The new platform aims to deliver speed, scale and creativity across its client roster.
In addition, the restructure consolidates all content producers under one global team, combining agency and production expertise to foster collaboration, innovation, and operational efficiency. Richard Glasson, global CEO of Hogarth, leads the new division.
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