BP has chosen WPP as its “preferred global partner” for marketing communication services following a review that began last year.
It's a big win for the holding company considering its chief executive Martin Sorrell abruptly stepped down last month. WPP will be tasked with handling BP’s Corporate, Fuels and Castrol businesses globally.
WPP has created a dedicated unit for the client called Team Energy that will provide advertising, media investment management, digital media, marketing communication and branding services. According to WPP, it will draw on talent and expertise from agencies including VML, Ogilvy, Mindshare, Grey, Essence, SocialLabs and Landor.
Team Energy will also include a “flexible media model” for BP called EnergyMedia that will combine talent from agencies including Mindshare, Essence, Neo and Possible.
BP’s dedicated unit will be based in London but have offices around the world.
“BP has enjoyed a highly successful relationship with WPP and we appreciate their exceptional partnership throughout the last 20 years,” said Geoff Morrell, group head of communications and external affairs at BP.
“This has led to some iconic work – not least the development of BP’s Helios logo and a series of award-winning advertising campaigns. As we enter the third decade of our relationship, we have agreed on a completely new way of working to enable easy access to the best talent and ideas that WPP has to offer. We are excited by the possibilities this creates.”
Andrew Scott, chief operating officer at WPP, added: “As long-term partners to BP, we are delighted to begin a new chapter of our relationship. To help BP meet its needs we’ve created a purpose-built team that brings together hand-picked talent and expertise from across WPP. Our bespoke vision for BP is a clear demonstration of how we see the future – delivering agile, responsive and impactful services that drive results and help realise the client’s growth ambitions.”