17653: On The Publicis Groupe Versus WPP Exclusivity Exhibition.

Advertising Age spotlighted the spat between Publicis Groupe and WPP, whereby the France-based White holding company called out Cindy Rose, CEO of the UK-based single White operating company, for her commentary on major brands assigning global business to White holding companies sans traditional pitches.

The Publicis Groupe rebuttal felt like admansplaining—although former Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy would undoubtedly deny it.

The volleying vomit displays hypocrisy and hubris.

After all, holding companies were arguably designed to secure business in unconventional—accent on con—style. The model allows for cronyism, Corporate Cultural Collusion, and constructing companies for exclusive client catering.

Publicis Groupe and WPP—as well as all holding companies—have engaged in account acquisition schemes leveraging privileged power plays. And there’s no sign of anyone returning to traditional pitching.

The back-and-forth bickering is bona fide bullshit.

Let the White holding company without Prime Redlining practices cast the first stone.

Publicis fires back at WPP CEO Cindy Rose over comments on agencies winning business without traditional pitches

By Brian Bonilla

Publicis Groupe is firing back at WPP CEO Cindy Rose over comments she made about agencies winning business without traditional pitches with an unusually pointed Instagram post that accuses its rival of insulting clients. It also takes a swipe at WPP’s decision not to defend Coca-Cola’s North American media account.

In the “Dear Cindy” post, addressed directly to Rose, Publicis challenges her suggestion during WPP’s third-quarter earnings call last week that agencies winning business without competitive pitches could be encouraging clients to bypass proper due diligence. The French holding company, which has secured several major accounts this year without formal reviews, argued in the post that clients are subjecting agencies to extensive evaluations even when they forgo traditional pitches.

“Although it might make for a good headline, claiming we win on a ‘CEO handshake’ is an insult to clients’ intelligence,” Publicis wrote. “We all know global companies don’t hand over their data, media, and tech keys over a friendly espresso. It takes months of hard testing by marketers, engineers, data architects, and procurement teams.”

Rose made the comments in question during WPP’s earnings call, after an analyst asked about the company’s decision not to participate in Coca-Cola’s North American media review and whether WPP was seeing competitors win assignments without pitching. Rose described the trend as the “pitchless CEO handshake thing” and acknowledged the growing costs associated with agency reviews, but warned against dispensing with formal pitches.

“Nobody loves pitching,” she said on the call. “The cost and burden of the process seems to be increasing. But I think what’s really important, to me is that my clients fully understand the implications of the decisions they’re making. These are really high-stakes decisions with material business consequences, and they deserve careful consideration. I don’t think we do ourselves any favor as an industry of professionals by encouraging clients to bypass proper due diligence.”

Earlier last month, Publicis Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun spoke about the growing trend of marketers handing over accounts without a formal pitch process. Publicis won PepsiCo and Microsoft business this year without a pitch.

In the post, Publicis Groupe also took a shot at WPP for declining to defend Coca-Cola’s North American media business—which Omnicom eventually secured—while focusing on pitching its global media business. In the WPP earnings call, Rose explained: “We made a tough call between spending yet another six weeks pitching for North America versus delivering against what we had already won.”

“You can’t be a passionate defender of pitch culture and plead exhaustion in the same breath,” Publicis wrote in response. “If an extra six-week run was enough to sideline your teams, it’s not an endurance problem; it’s a capability one.”

WPP was not immediately available to comment on the Publicis post.

Read Publicis’s full letter below:

Dear Cindy,

We’ve had a busy few days, as you may have seen, but of course we didn’t miss your earnings call last week.

We’ve always enjoyed a bit of industry back and forth, à la Maurice and Martin, so we couldn’t let your theory on how we win new business slide without a word.

Although it might make for a good headline, claiming we win on a “CEO handshake” is an insult to clients’ intelligence.

We all know global companies don’t hand over their data, media, and tech keys over a friendly espresso. It takes months of hard testing by marketers, engineers, data architects, and procurement teams. So let’s be really clear here: skipping an old-school pitch circus isn’t skipping due diligence. It’s clients knowing what they need and testing us to the limit.

Having worked at one of the companies that chose us this year, you know its leaders really well, and your comments sell them remarkably short. They would never have entrusted us with a task of this magnitude on a wink and a handshake.

It’s as believable as saying your troops were too tired to try and win back your biggest client’s biggest market. You can’t be a passionate defender of pitch culture and plead exhaustion in the same breath. If an extra six-week run was enough to sideline your teams, it’s not an endurance problem; it’s a capability one.

Take it from us, investing in tech and talent really helps on that front.

Because in the real world, enterprise partners aren’t chosen after a cosy tête-à-tête or legacy slide decks. They are chosen on connected identity and media solutions, intelligent creativity, and AI engines that drive business.

Don’t get us wrong. We didn’t expect a basket of muffins or a thank-you note for clearing the path to your global renewal. We understand the pressure of building a narrative for the financial markets and the urge to celebrate a win – a victory lap is fun even when you’re the only one who ran. But it shouldn’t require denigrating our clients, our people, and all of our efforts.

Our industry does extraordinary work. Let’s give it the credit it deserves.

Very best,

Your friends at Publicis 

17652: Stereotypes Sink Sub At Jersey Mike’s.

 

Jersey Mike’s introduces Mike’s Hot Italian sub—via this commercial from White advertising agency Highdive—with a stereotypical Italian American voiceover hollering, “Fuggedaboudit!”

Not sure what the Order of Sons and Daughters of Italy in America would think of the spot—but the concept is lazy, potentially offensive, and thoroughly fuggedable.

17651: ICYMI M.O.B. WTF.

DIKO—a White advertising agency in Austin, Texas—is responsible for the Liquid Death and Rumpl promotion featuring M.O.B. Shopping Network, a campaign rife with stereotypes historically deemed offensive to Italian Americans.

Somebody should’ve whacked it at the concept stage.

 

DIKO LAUNCHES “M.O.B. SHOPPING NETWORK” FOR LIQUID DEATH & RUMPL COLLABORATION

Two mobsters turn outdoor product benefits into suspicious selling points for the Body Bag sleeping bag and Dirt Nap puffy blanket.

Independent creative agency DIKO has created “M.O.B. Shopping Network,” a campaign introducing Rumpl’s collaboration with Liquid Death through a home-shopping operation run by two men with unusual qualifications.

The 75-second hero film stars two mobsters in a wood-paneled studio pitching the Body Bag sleeping bag and Dirt Nap puffy blanket from the Liquid Death edition by Rumpl collection. Their sales presentation highlights the products’ outdoor performance features through suspiciously specific examples. The sales pitch deteriorates quickly as the thrashing, not-quite-dead occupant of the Body Bag is wrestled back into frame by two associates in plastic cleanup uniforms.

A natural fit with an unexpected twist

The collaboration brings together Liquid Death, the beverage brand known for its irreverent marketing, and Rumpl, the brand known for its technical blankets made with post-consumer recycled materials. Rumpl’s use of recycled plastic also connects with Liquid Death’s “Death to Plastic” mission. Both brands show that making quality products doesn’t mean taking yourself too seriously.

For DIKO, the creative challenge was to turn Liquid Death and Rumpl’s partnership into a product story. The product names supplied the starting point. Body Bag and Dirt Nap suggested the perfect spokespeople: two mobsters who would regard both products as everyday essentials. The gear’s actual features gave those characters a reason to keep talking.

“Who better to sell products called the Dirt Nap and Body Bag than two highly experienced experts?” said Diko Daghlian, founder and chief creative officer of DIKO, who also directed the film. “We looked at the features through our mobsters’ eyes. As luck would have it, both products were already occupied, making for a couple of convenient live demonstrations.”

Real features. Questionable applications.

The campaign uses the familiar conventions of late-night home shopping to connect product information with the mobsters’ line of work. Water repellency becomes insurance against “spills, stains… whatevah.” A sleeping bag’s warmth comes in handy when someone unexpectedly ends up in the Nevada desert in the middle of the night.

A free gold watch adds another classic infomercial incentive, even if it’s displayed on its former owner’s wrist.

“The creative is unhinged, but it makes strategic sense because the humor comes directly from the products,” said James Atkin, VP of global brand at Rumpl. “The names establish the mafia connection, and the features make it convincing. These characters just have very different reasons for needing them. That lets us show what the gear does in a way that feels right for both brands.”

“When two brands are practically obligated to be irreverent, things go off the rails fast. DIKO kept the rules simple: one-sentence ideas, instantly understood, funny without being mean. Then commit fully to the bit. It’s the only way to sell a body bag on a home shopping network,” said Justin Lucero, design director at Rumpl.

The campaign includes the hero film, two product videos, and four 10-second vignettes. It runs across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Rumpl’s owned channels, including Rumpl.com, email, and SMS, supported by paid social.

17650: On Strategery At WPP.

 

Adweek spotlighted WPP CEO Cindy Rose on why she’s “Not Claiming Victory Yet” with the Roserrection.

Accessing the content requires a subscription; hence, the following commentary is a response to the viewable free text.

Rose can’t claim victory because Eviscerate28 is still closer to failure than success. The best she can declare is slowing WPP’s death spiral—and just barely.

Doesn’t help that she’s restructuring while purported leaders are abandoning the global flaming dumpster. A revolving and revolting roster at the C-Suite level hardly inspires trust—for clients and drones alike—counteracting Rose’s repetitive use of the term.

WPP Media cannot proclaim revitalization. As Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun stated, 91% of account assignments are won by WPP, Omnicom, and Publicis. WPP Media nabbed new business by simply being among exclusively limited options.

Rose believes her strategy is on track. Herein lies an issue perhaps exposing her Adland inexperience.

There’s a basic advertising tenet: Breakthroughs happen when strategy and execution harmonize.

Rose might think her undisclosed strategy works. However, the execution sucks.

The delusional stabilization phase is stymied by companywide instability.

The recruitment of outsiders displays a lack of faith with insiders’ capabilities.

Ogilvy aside, WPP Creative lacks creativity.

Thanks to industry commoditization fueled by the single White operating company, WPP AI offerings are not extraordinary, but rather, extra ordinary. Ditto all WPP services.

Rose shouldn’t bear complete blame. She inherited a Titanic post-collision with an iceberg. Yet it will take way more than a strategy to save the sinking ship.

Finally, in 2021 when DEIBA+ was a performative imperative, former WPP CEO Mark Read admitted, “While our U.S. data shows progress between 2018 and 2020, it also underlines the work we have to do to ensure greater representation of Black, Asian and other under-represented communities within WPP—especially at the more senior levels.”

If the situation was bad five years ago, how much worse is it today?

Cindy Rose on Why She’s ‘Not Claiming Victory Yet’ and How AI Agents Could Boost Margins

One year in, the CEO says her strategy is on track. Here’s what has changed and what still needs to be done

By Alison Weissbrot

When Cindy Rose became CEO of WPP a little over a year ago, the company was in its worst decline since the pandemic, with revenue down 5.4% and margins eroding fast. 

Today, WPP reported that Q3 revenue, less pass-through costs, fell 2.1% to $3.2 billion (£2.41 billion), narrowing from Q2’s 2.8% decline. Reported revenue was up 0.5% year-over-year to $4.4 billion. Meanwhile, WPP Media returned to 0.3% growth for the first time in six quarters.

Rose said it’s a sign her strategy to return WPP to organic growth by 2027 is taking shape. Nearly a year into that plan, the business is starting to show signs of health, following two quarters of narrowing declines.

(Read the full story here—Adweek subscription required)

17649: On Branding, Designing, And Hiring At WPP.

 

MediaPost reported Landor—the branding and design consultancy within WPP Creative—hired and/or boosted a bunch of White executives for leadership roles.

Not sure what to make of the moves.

After all, the recent 3Q earnings call indicated WPP Creative recorded a 5.1% decline. Additionally, WPP CEO Cindy Rose heralded the progression of Eviscerate28, a scheme calling for more layoffs.

So, if WPP Creative is struggling and targeted with deeper RIFs, why add high-level forces?

Plus, how do these hires relate to the earlier creation of WPP Brand & Design and its newly minted leaders?

Were the latest appointments orchestrated and approved by the outgoing WPP Creative CEO or the incoming successor?

Seems like someone needs to clarify the branding and designing of the single White operating company.

The global flaming dumpster is a never-ending shitshow.

WPP’s Landor Bolsters Senior Leadership With 4 Key Hires

By Fern Siegel

Landor has added to its senior leadership team. The four hires enhance the agency's expertise in key sectors: strategy, healthcare and AI. Landor is WPP’s brand/design consultancy.

Andrew Miller and Oliver Maltby join Landor as global executive strategy director and global executive creative director.

Previously, Miller was Chief Growth Officer at BeenThereDoneThat, and earlier at Interbrand. He reports to James Withey, global EVP strategy.

Maltby had been executive creative director at Interbrand New York. He will report to Teemu Suviala, Global CCO. Both Miller and Maltby are based in New York.

Carolyn Griffin joins from JKR as executive strategy director, to strengthen Landor’s healthcare practice, while Marc Lamothe, a six-year agency vet, takes up a new role as global executive director, applied AI and brand intelligence. Prior to Landor, he worked at Fitch.

Nicky Bell, president, Americas and global healthcare practice leader, said: “Our clients are facing immense complexity. They need trusted partners who understand how differentiated brand strategies can unlock growth — even in volatile markets. We are thrilled to welcome Andrew, Oliver, Carolyn and Marc to our talented Landor team.”

17648: Translating WPP 3Q PR WTF.

 

MediaPost reported WPP CEO Cindy Rose displayed the art of PR—propagandistic revisionism—during a 3Q earnings call.

WPP posted a “smaller decline” in the third quarter, which sorta sounds like things are not as shitty as previous quarters—but it’s still a shitshow.

WPP Media provided the least smelliness in the shit pile by recording a 0.3% gain year over year. Um, that’s closer to 0% than even 1%, no?

Meanwhile, WPP Creative was down 5.1%, meaning the guy recruited to replace the outgoing WPP Creative CEO inherited a shitstorm.

To summarize, Rose appears to be containing fires burning in the global flaming dumpster.

WPP Posts Smaller Decline In Q3 As Media Enters Positive Territory

By Steve McClellan

WPP posted a net organic revenue decline of 2.1% for the third quarter, a sequential improvement over the previous quarter. 

One of the brighter notes for the period: WPP Media returned to growth, albeit a slight 0.3% gain year over year.

On an earnings call Thursday CEO Cindy Rose noted that it was the first quarter of growth for the firm’s media division since 2024.  

The company’s full-year outlook remains unchanged. The organic revenue decline for the second half of the year will be low to mid-single digits with Q4 “toward the better end of his range.” The first quarter shortfall was 6.7% while Q2 was off 2.8%.  

“We continue to make progress, and I’m encouraged by our momentum,” Rose stated on the call, adding that the company as a whole is on track to return to growth in 2027, per the goals of its three-year turnaround plan which extends through 2028. 

WPP Production also grew in the quarter—up 2.5%—while creative operations were down 5.1%. 

All regions declined: North America, -1.8%; Europe Middle East & Asia, -1.7%, Asia Pacific, -4.3% and Latin America, -1.2%. 

But Rose asserted that the company had succeeded in stabilizing its business, as evidenced by a number of big new business wins and retentions including the global marketing assignment for The Coca-Cola Company. Other significant wins included DoorDash, Nestle, Uber and Waymo. 

Rose asserted that clients have reacted positively toward the company’s integration efforts. “We’re showing up as one entity without individual agency constraints,” she said. 

One analyst on the call noted that the Coca-Cola retention excluded the North America media business, which went to Omnicom in a separate pitch. Rose responded that the company made the “tough call” not to pursue that piece of business and instead focus on the comprehensive work it will do for the company throughout the rest of the world.  

The firm said it was on track to save $100 million in costs this year, which will be reinvested in company services. It will save another $150 million in cost cuts next year, said company CFO Joanne Wilson, who previously announced she is stepping down next year to take the CFO spot at spirits marketer Diageo. The search for her replacement is underway.  

Commenting on the results, marketing advisory firm Madison & Wall said, “taken together, the quarter shows stabilization that is now visible in media, but not yet in creative, which at 48% of net revenue is the larger of the two. Comparisons remain easy through the end of the year, indicating a sustained return to growth will depend on whether Creative can follow Media.”

Company shares were up modestly (+1.4%) in early afternoon trading following the release of Q3 results.

17647: WPP CEO Cindy Rose, Like Her Predecessor, Is Full Of Shit.

 

More About Advertising noted how WPP CEO Cindy Rose responded to Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun seeing a trend whereby major brands assign business to the top White holding companies sans traditional pitches.

“What’s really important to me is that my clients fully understand the implications of the decisions they’re making. These are really high-stakes decisions with material business consequences and they deserve careful consideration,” said Rose. “I don’t think we do ourselves any favours, as an industry of professionals, by encouraging clients to bypass proper due diligence.”

Um, wasn’t WPP Production recently exposed for trying to skirt around the triple-bidding process by presenting clients with multiple bids from White production sources within the global flaming dumpster network?

And don’t forget the corrupt sneakiness and criminal shenanigans at WPP Media.

Rose is clearly refining her skills as a world-class bullshit artist, mirroring predecessor Mark Read.

WPP’s Rose bites back at Publicis

By Stephen Foster

Is a scrap brewing between WPP’s Cindy Rose (below) and master-of-all-he surveys Arthur Sadoun at Publicis?

Sadoun has made much of Publicis winning major business without a pitch, saying clients shouldn’t waste their time on big pitches but take a good [look] at one agency group (chiefly his of course) as, these days there are only three contenders, Publicis, Omnicom and WPP. Pepsico is the most recent example of such a switch, with Omnicom on the receiving end.

WPP has lost out to a degree and Rose said in her earnings call yesterday: “What’s really important to me is that my clients fully understand the implications of the decisions they’re making. These are really high-stakes decisions with material business consequences and they deserve careful consideration.

“I don’t think we do ourselves any favours, as an industry of professionals, by encouraging clients to bypass proper due diligence.”

She then rather undermined her position by saying, apropos Coca-Cola’s US media (which Publicis pinched from WPP without a pitch, it then effectively resigned it to take on Pepsico): “We won the rest of the world and we have a huge amount of work to do in a very short period of time. I had people, many, many people, pitching for many, many, many weeks over the summer.

“I was with them myself in London and Shanghai and Mexico City and we made a tough call between spending another six weeks pitching for North America versus delivering against what we had already won.

“It was a fine judgment call we made and it’s as simple as that really.” Which rather makes Sadoun’s point.

But it used to be fun when the holding company bosses routinely took a pop at each other, led by WPP’s then boss Sir Martin Sorrell (who could start a fight alone in a darkened room.) Publicis’ then boss Maurice Levy used to rise to the challenge. Sorrell’s successor Mark Read was low-key, allowing Sadoun at Publicis to make the running (Omnicom’s John Wren usually stays above the fray in his lordly American way.)

Is it time for gloves off?