Ogilvy UK

It's official! We have a new CEO. Following WPP’s inspired acquisition of the award-winning agency New Commercial Arts. NCA will sit alongside Ogilvy UK and their founder and CEO James Murphy, will lead both agencies as CEO Ogilvy Group UK. Fiona Gordon has been promoted to Ogilvy's Global CEO of Advertising. Welcome James Murphy! An exciting new chapter for all. Read more in the Financial Times and marketing trades including Campaign UK, Creative Salon Worldwide and LBBonline - Little Black Book. Links to the coverage in the comments. Mark Read, CEO of WPP: “NCA is one of the UK’s most exciting new agencies with a great team, an impressive roster of clients and a track record of elevating beloved British brands. Its capabilities and client base make NCA highly complementary to Ogilvy; bringing together these two very successful agencies will drive growth both for our clients and our own UK business.”    James Murphy, co-founder and CEO of NCA and incoming CEO of Ogilvy Group UK: “Ogilvy is rightly recognised as the world’s pre-eminent creative network, and to be joining with the remit to unlock our collective potential in the UK market is irresistible. For our team and our clients this will be a game-changer in what we can bring to their careers and their brands. Plugging into Ogilvy and WPP’s network will give us access to data and AI tools at scale through WPP Open and to a broad set of Ogilvy capabilities that were simply out of our reach as an independent – from influencer marketing, PR, CRM, commerce and service design to business transformation and brand innovation through Ogilvy Consulting.”     Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO of Ogilvy: “James, David and their partners are pioneers in our industry. When they created New Commercial Arts, they deliberately chose the word commercial because growing our clients’ brands and businesses is core to what our industry does – an ethos mirrored in David Ogilvy’s famous words: ‘We Sell, Or Else’. Fiona's stellar leadership has been instrumental in propelling Ogilvy UK forward, playing a critical role in the growth and momentum of our global network. I’m thrilled that her impact will now be felt on a global stage.” Fiona Gordon, newly appointed Global CEO of Advertising at Ogilvy: “I’m invigorated every day by the boundless potential of creativity to not only propel businesses forward but to leave an indelible mark on culture. To have the opportunity to collaborate more closely with Dev, Liz, and Ogilvy’s Worldwide Creative Council to harness the creative brilliance of our network on behalf of our clients is a tremendous opportunity. In my new role I’m excited that the UK will make a vital contribution as a key market.” #borderlesscreativity

Our revered Chief Creative Officer Andre (Dede) Laurentino Laurentino and Director of Consumer Equality Shelina Janmohamed brought creativity to parliament this week in a fiery debate organised by the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). They came with passionate and provocative arguments opposing the motion “the anti-woke agenda is fuelling creativity” – showing why it devalues our work and that creativity thrives without resistance.

It's doesn't get bigger than the BFG. The marketing trades and national media have gone wild for the cinematic Christmas masterpiece for Sainsbury's created by our awesome colleagues at New Commercial Arts. The enchanting 104” epic adventure stars Roald Dahl’s timeless children’s storybook favourite the BFG. The campaign is New Commercial Art’s first collaboration with Ogilvy UK, which recently acquired the brand, and who created an instant digital experience, a social Taste The Difference campaign and an influencer drive. Aside from the BFG, other industry giants involved in this campaign included - director Sam Brown, voice over Stephen Fry and composer Alex Baranowski, who recorded the stunning soundtrack at Abbey Road with a 54-piece orchestra. There is nothing small about Sainsbury’s big Christmas campaign. Link to the film and coverage in the comments. #borderlesscreativity

The magic of Christmas arrives today with the nationwide launch of Sainsbury's BIG Christmas campaign starring the iconic children’s book character the BFG. The cinematic campaign was created by our colleagues at New Commercial Arts. and celebrates the excitement of Christmas with an enchanting 104” film combining puppetry, live action and CGI animation. Inspired by Roald Dahl’s timeless children’s story, the campaign follows the beloved BFG as he teams up with Sophie, a dedicated Sainsbury’s colleague, to take viewers on an enchanting, whimsical culinary adventure. Everyone deserves a BFG Christmas. The campaign is New Commercial Art’s first collaboration with Ogilvy UK, which recently acquired the brand, and who created an instant digital experience, a social Taste The Difference campaign and an influencer drive. Ian Heartfield, Founder, New Commercial Arts: “The Big Friendly Giant meets the Big Friendly Grocer - two fabric of the nation brands, bringing the magic of Christmas home to families. Our heart-warming campaign is a celebration of all things Christmas, allowing young and old to escape into a wonderful world of mouth-watering food, and to enjoy the story of a special friendship.”   Directed by industry cornerstone Sam Brown, with a voice over by Stephen Fry and a bespoke soundtrack by renowned composer Alex Baranowski, recorded at Abbey Road with a 54-piece orchestra, there is nothing small about Sainsbury’s big Christmas campaign. The TV ad launches across ITV, Channel4 and Sky on Friday 1st November at 7pm. The film has 60” and 30” edits with a 20” party food and 10” teaser. The campaign runs across TV, VOD, cinema, social and influence.

Something big is coming. 1st November.

The Guardian talks to Rory Sutherland about his huge success on TikTok. With 2.4M likes, 225K followers and his latest video alone hitting 688K views, Ogilvy Consulting's behavioural science guru has won legions of fans of all ages, thanks to his counter intuitive observations about marketing best practice. Link to his Tiktok and article in the comments.

Driving Greater Economic Opportunity Through Blackweek 🌟   At the heart of Blackweek lies a powerful mission: to create greater economic opportunities for diverse businesses, suppliers, and professionals. The potential in diverse consumer markets is enormous—brands, influencers, agencies, and individuals alike. To succeed, we must embrace and tap into this power.   Ogilvy was a partner of the first iteration of this special conference, therefore Roots Co-Chairs Jodene and Mabinty attended Blackweek to learn and take inspiration on how best they lead this community and create inclusive work streams for the betterment of Roots and the wider agency. Here were their key takeaways from the event:   ‘Black culture is a commodity we all should invest in.’ Jodene Robinson, Co-Chair of Roots   ‘Being unapologetically black is how we show up, and it’s important that we’re unafraid to use our voices and our platforms.’ Mabinty Taylor-Kamara, Co-Chair of Roots

Continuing our Black History Month conversations, we hosted a very special panel to celebrate the ways multiculturalism enriches British society, creativity, and us as individuals.   We welcomed Vickie Wambura, co-CEO of Migrateful, a charity that has transformed the futures of countless refugees and migrants by helping them to teach their own cookery classes based on traditional cuisines.   Our second panellist was Gaynor Tutani, curator and EARTHworks founder, who draws on her deep academic background in the decolonisation of art to talk about the roots of so much of our culture. Quinn Zaffre, Creative Technology Director at Ogilvy UK, says: "A critically positive affirmation of the much needed impact of practice led community organisations that revitalised my fervour to tell the stories that matter in innovative ways - I am honoured to have mediated the conversation and I am excited to see it progress in the real world."   Thanks to all for keeping the conversation going this Black History Month.

Today marks World Menopause Day, raising awareness about menopause and the support options available to those transitioning through this natural life stage. We recognise the impact menopause can have and are absolutely committed to giving our team the resources and support so that they can continue to thrive. Bev Taylor, head of employee experience, Ogilvy UK: “Colleagues going through (peri) menopause can’t always just ‘get on with it’. It's physically challenging and mentally draining, too often compounded by not having the right support at work. Compliance and regulations are a start, but there must be an ongoing conversation because no one has all the answers. Everyone's experience is unique, but being a listening ear, offering peer support and access to medical care, while also adapting to different needs, gives employees the chance to thrive at every life stage. We must keep the dialogue open and be flexible for anyone going through this significant life stage." 

A storm in a sippy cup? In his latest column for marketing bible Creative Salon Worldwide our thirsty Head of Strategy Matthew Waksman talks the power of conspicuous hydration and lifts the lid on the trend of outsized beverage receptacles. Link in the comments.