London, UK – Multinational creative communications company WPP has announced the merger of two of its creative agencies, Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R, to form creative company VML.
VML unites the capabilities of the two creative agencies in commerce, customer experience, and marketing technology to provide an improved set of offerings to its clients.
The creative company will be equipped to support clients on creative brand growth strategy and transformation initiatives, all powered by best-in-class data operations, technology platforms, and partnerships with various technology companies. It will also provide an exceptional offer for healthcare companies and B2B marketers.
Combining VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson’s respective client bases, functional expertise, and geographic strengths, VML will have a hold on more than 30,000 people in 64 markets.
Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R were both launched in 2018 and since then have experienced sustained growth and amassed a breadth of expertise, having worked on client development, new business, and acquisitions.
Both agencies have partnered with multiple clients across the globe, including Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and more.
With the merger, the parent company WPP also announced immediate leadership appointments, including Debbi Vandeven as global chief creative officer; Eric Campbell as global chief client officer; Juan Pablo Jurado as CEO for LATAM; Ewen Sturgeon as CEO for EMEA; and Audrey Kuah and Yi-Chung Tay to be co-CEOs for APAC.
Meanwhile, Jon Cook becomes the global CEO at VML, and Mel Edwards will take on the role of global president, with the management team bringing together strong leaders from across both companies.
Cook said, “The future of building strong brands and businesses requires the interconnectivity of brand experience, commerce, and customer experiences. We recognised the immediate opportunity to create what every consultancy and advertising agency aspires to build with the formation of VML. We’re especially excited to present our new offering to the industry, as we don’t believe there is another company as creatively awarded with our depth in customer experience and commerce.”
Also commenting on the merger, Edwards shared, “This is the right suite of capabilities, offered at just the right moment, at unprecedented scale. It’s incredibly exciting because, with this new agency, we have the chance to shape the future of modern marketing in every key market around the world. The opportunities it affords our people and the growth we can deliver for our clients at a global scale make this a real game-changer for each business and the wider industry.”
Meanwhile, Mark Read, CEO at WPP, said, “Scale matters in today’s world as AI and technology transform marketing and global clients look to simplify their relationships. VML will combine world-class creativity with deep expertise in data, marketing technology, and platforms to deliver a competitive advantage for ambitious brands. It’s another important step forward for WPP as we continue to reshape our offer for the future, simplify our business, and unlock further benefits of scale.”
“Separately, Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R are two of WPP’s strongest and best-performing agencies. Together, they will deliver an even wider, fully integrated suite of capabilities to our clients in every market. Marketers today expect seamless links between their brand advertising and technology solutions and platforms. VML provides an immediate solution to this business imperative,” he added.
