17406: WPP = White Party Pooper.

 

More About Advertising reported WPP gave up its prized Miramar Beach location at the upcoming Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

 

The White holding company probably partied on the beach last year after being named Holding Company of the Year. In 2026, WPP can expect to get sand kicked in its face.

 

WPP CEO Cindy Rose recently remarked, “I’m amazed at how many buildings we own around the world.” Looks like she’s deciding to reduce buildings and beaches—along with bodies.

 

WPP surrenders prized Cannes beach place

 

By Stephen Foster

 

WPP has given up its prized beach at the Cannes Lions, the core of its festival presence. Last year it won Holding Company of the Year, which doubtless led to party time at the beach although, with things back at London HQ rapidly heading south, this wasn’t necessarily a good look.

 

No word yet on whether new CEO Cindy Rose’s economy drive will result in fewer or even no awards entries. When Publicis canned these pre-lockdown to spend the money on Marcel it was reported as saving €50m. A worrying prospect for new Cannes owner Informa.

 

Taking over the Miramar Beach location is independent agency PMG, which plans an AI-focused space to position itself as a tech leader rather than a conventional agency. PMG founder George Popstefanov says: “Since day one, I’ve forbidden people to use the word ‘agency’ internally. I’ve always thought of us as a technology company that just happens to do marketing.”

 

Cannes is rapidly turning into a version of CES by the sea, dominated by tech companies who already bag most of the yacht places. The last fun one was arguably 2016 with the highlight Johnny Hornby and client News International’s yacht party featuring Take That and Fatboy Slim. The fact that Brexit was announced the next morning took the shine off it for some.

17405: On YABs, YACs, YAPs, YUCK.

 

Advertising Age and PR Newswire spotlighted YABs, YACs, and YAPs—Youth Advisory Boards, Youth Advisory Councils, and Youth Advisory Panels—which are described as follows:

 

Youth advisory panels (YAPs) are groups of Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers (e.g., SuperHeroes’ 80-member panel) employed by advertising agencies to provide direct, authentic insights for marketing strategies, creative development, and client pitches. These panels help brands connect with younger demographics by providing feedback, producing content, and identifying emerging trends. They are increasingly used to ensure authentic youth engagement, particularly in social media and brand strategy.

 

Based on the images above and below, YABs, YACs, and YAPs appear to be consultants of color.

 

White advertising agencies routinely appoint committees for cultural appropriation and approval, a storied tradition of delegating diversity started by tapping mailroom staff, cafeteria workers, security personnel, custodial services, and elevator attendants.

 

In recent years, White ad agencies have used such schemes to win pitches and prizes.

 

Seems like a slick workaround to conceal diminishing employment opportunities for entry-level youth in Adland.

 

Do YABs, YACs, and YAPs experience forms of Prime Redlining and crumbs compensation?

 

Probably YES.

 

YIPPEE-KI-YAY.

17404: On Pioneering & Profiteering.

 

A previous post noted Omnicom Chairman and CEO John Wren’s honorary title is changing from Pioneer of Diversity to Pioneer of Divestiture.

 

The label switch underscores the devolution of Adland and warrants consideration, criticism, and commentary.

 

For starters, Pioneer of Diversity was always a farce representing performative posturing, pseudo philanthropic propaganda, and heat shields of the past.

 

Pioneer of Divestiture symbolizes a different direction.

 

While Pioneer of Diversity feigned interest in people, Pioneer of Divestiture focuses on profit.

 

Pioneer of Divestiture priorities descend in the following order: 1) shareholders who must see quarterly reports; 2) clients who must see quarterly sales, while providing revenue, and; 3) workforce who must see to delivering products with cost-effective efficiency and/or be replaced by AI.

 

In summation, Pioneer of Divestiture is trailblazing toward Adland Armageddon.

17403: Byron Allen Increases His Starz Power.

Variety reported media mogul Byron Allen pivoted from his crusade against Mickey D’s, acquiring a 10.7% stake in Starz Entertainment for $25 million. Can’t help but wonder if Allen’s McSettlement money helped finance the Starz move.

 

One way to fight disempowerment is to seize power.

 

Byron Allen Acquires 10.7% Stake in Starz From Steve Mnuchin’s Investment Firm for $25 Million

 

By Todd Spangler

 

Allen Family Capital, the investment arm of media mogul Byron Allen, acquired a 10.7% stake in Starz Entertainment for $25 million in a private transaction with Liberty Steve Mnuchin’s Liberty 77 Capital.

 

In an announcement Thursday, Allen Family Capital said it acquired 1,803,786 common shares of Starz at a purchase price of $13.86 per common share for aggregate consideration of $25 million. The deal gives Allen — who previously didn’t own any Starz shares — beneficial ownership of approximately 10.7% of Starz’s issued and outstanding common shares.

 

On March 4, Mnuchin’s Liberty Funds entered into an agreement to sell all of the shares owned by them in a private sale transaction for $25 million, per an SEC filing. Mnuchin is the former Hollywood producer who served as Treasury Secretary during President Trump’s first term.

 

In May 2025, Lionsgate completed the split with the Starz premium cable and streaming business, which is now a separately traded company. Mnuchin owns about 13% of Lionsgate Studios and joined the company’s board in January.

 

Starz ended 2025 with 12.7 million U.S. streaming subscribers, gaining 370,000 in the year-end period. Total subscribers across Starz platforms reached 17.6 million, up 170,000 sequentially. Streaming revenue for Q4 2025 was $210.3 million (down from $239 million in the prior-year quarter), while linear and “other” revenue rose to $112.5 million vs. $105.5 million at the end of 2024. The company reported a net loss of $20.7 million, an improvement from a net loss of $31.8 million a year earlier.

 

Beverly Hills-based Allen Family Capital is the private investment firm and family office of Byron Allen.

 

Allen acquired the stake in Starz “for investment purposes and intends to review such investment on a continuing basis. As such, Allen may, depending on Starz’s performance and other market conditions, increase or decrease the investment position,” the firm said in its announcement.

 

“Allen may, from time to time, make additional acquisitions of Common Shares or other securities of Starz either in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, including transactions directly with Starz,” Allen Family Capital said. Such decisions will be based on its “evaluation of Starz’s business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, the market for the Common Shares or other securities, other opportunities available to Allen, general economic conditions, stock market conditions and other factors.”

 

Allen Media Group, founded in 1993, owns and/or operates 27 ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and 10 television networks serving nearly 300 million subscribers including the Weather Channel, TheGrio and HBCU Go. The company also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 74 TV programs.  

17402: Obsidianworks Flowing Freely And Independently.

 

Advertising Age spotlighted Obsidianworks, the enterprise co-founded by A-list actor Michael B. Jordan and former Nike executive Chad Easterling.

 

The firm is restating its position with a “New Money America” platform.

 

The Ad Age content is definitely worth reading.

 

Michael B. Jordan’s agency regains its independence—behind Obsidianworks’ bet on ‘New Money America’

 

By Brian Bonilla

 

Obsidianworks, the agency co-founded by actor Michael B. Jordan and former Nike executive Chad Easterling, is going fully independent by buying back the minority stake previously owned by WME Group’s 160over90 since 2021.

 

The move is intended to help Obsidianworks grow faster and more deliberately, according to Easterling, who serves as the agency’s CEO. Part of that growth plan is Obsidianworks reframing its positioning to embrace what it calls “New Money America,” which Easterling describes as younger, more diverse and culturally fluid generation that is driving the largest wealth transfer in history.

 

The agency launched in 2019 and took on investment from 160over90 in 2021. At the time, reports said the investment was worth about $20 million.

 

Easterling declined to comment on the figure or disclose the financial terms of the buyback. The decision to regain full ownership was not the result of a failed partnership but rather the next phase of a plan that had been in place since the beginning, he added.

 

“When we entered the partnership, going independent was always part of the plan as well,” Easterling said. “For us and for them, it was really about wanting to help us get established—help us get the fundamentals and structure in place.”

 

160over90 wasn’t immediately available for comment.

 

Michael B. Jordan is also currently managed by WME, which is part of WME Group.

 

Obsidianworks’ origins

 

Obsidianworks was founded on the belief that the traditional agency model needed to evolve.

 

“Mike saw an opportunity from his side as an actor—working with studios and production companies that were asking him about connecting with consumers—and as a brand ambassador working with brands and trying to connect to consumers,” Easterling said.

 

From the start, the founders wanted to build a company that could scale beyond Jordan’s personal network.

 

“We didn’t want this to be where he’s trying to walk us into every single door, and he feels that pressure,” Easterling said.

 

That ambition is what made the partnership with 160over90 appealing. The relationship gave Obsidianworks infrastructure, credibility and the ability to operate like a more established agency early in its life.

 

One notable project produced alongside 160over90 was the creation of the Legacy Classic, a televised HBCU men’s basketball showcase held in Newark, New Jersey. Easterling said that led to work with Marriott, along with projects the companies collaborated on for Meta and Nike.

 

“The partnership allowed us to have a level of structure and foundation that let us not only get after one or two projects as a small, nimble shop, but get after multiple bodies of work that overlapped at the same time,” he said.

 

Why independence feels right now

 

After five years of building the business and establishing a roster of clients with support from 160over90, Easterling believes the agency has proven its model and can now expand more freely.

 

“Now feels like the right time because we want to begin to move faster, take more risks and define our own growth trajectory without constraints,” he said.

 

That expansion is tied closely to Obsidianworks’ focus on “New Money America.”

 

“They’re not niche,” Easterling said of this consumer group. “They are the growth engine many brands are trying to get to, but not recognizing.”

 

Easterling said the concept reflects both research and real-world observation. It includes consumers whose financial realities may not always appear in traditional income metrics—people with full-time jobs who also generate income through side businesses or entrepreneurial ventures.

 

“We’re not just talking about Black consumers or multicultural consumers—we’re talking about that entire demographic across every background and nationality,” he said. “They’re bringing about the largest transfer of wealth, and they operate differently than millennials and Gen X.”

 

According to Easterling, this audience is more entrepreneurial, digitally native and fluid in how it defines status, success and spending.

 

Beyond the ‘multicultural’ label

 

That perspective also shapes how Obsidianworks positions itself within the agency landscape.

 

Easterling acknowledged that when the agency launched, many conversations around it centered on multicultural marketing and inclusive work. But he said the agency never deliberately positioned itself as a multicultural shop. At that time, he argued, many multicultural agencies were still using “outdated” approaches to reach diverse audiences.

 

Obsidianworks, he said, aims to sit between those two worlds.

 

“Yes, any call we go on, people know we’re multicultural—we have that authority,” Easterling said. However, he said, that label alone shouldn’t define the business. “We were never here to be diversity consultants.”

 

Instead, Easterling often frames the company more broadly as an agency or enterprise built to help brands grow.

 

“Typically I say we’re an agency—or I say we’re an enterprise,” he said, sometimes joking that “we’re a construction company for brands and New Money America—we’re builders.”

 

Obsidianworks’ growth and clients

 

Some of Obsidianworks’ work already reflects that positioning. Easterling pointed to the Legacy Classic as an early example of the agency’s New Money America thesis. The event connected with HBCU communities through basketball while introducing those schools and experiences to audiences outside their traditional geographic centers.

 

“We did it in Newark, New Jersey, because it’s easy to do things where HBCUs are, in the South,” Easterling said. “We wanted to bring this to a new audience—introducing and educating a new audience about HBCUs and introducing them to that experience.”

 

The event also aimed to generate economic activity for Newark and bring national attention to the city.

 

Today, Obsidianworks’ client roster includes Nike, Converse, Jordan Brand, Meta, Target and Spanx. The agency currently employs about 20 full-time staffers and plans to add another 10 to 12 people during the first half of the year.

 

Despite a broader pullback in investment toward diverse-owned agencies, Easterling said the company has maintained strong client relationships.

 

“I’d be crazy to say there wasn’t a shift—absolutely there was,” he said. Even so, he added, “the demand for culturally relevant work that connects to consumers and to those audiences has never been higher.”

 

The role of entertainment

 

Jordan, who is up for best actor for “Sinners” at the Oscars this Sunday, remains an important part of Obsidianworks’ strategic vision, though Easterling emphasized the agency was never intended to function as a vanity project built solely around the actor’s career. Still, its connection to entertainment could become more significant as brands increasingly seek ways to participate in film, TV and other entertainment properties.

 

“Before, that wasn’t the biggest focus for us, even though we could do it,” Easterling said. “Now it’s more of a focus.”

 

Obsidianworks’ decision to go independent was not driven by the broader trend toward indie agencies finding success with clients, Easterling said, though he acknowledged the advantages the structure can provide. He also didn’t rule out future M&A opportunities or building capabilities, but said that it isn’t the agency’s main focus right now.

 

“Being independent is a strength and has benefits,” he said. “It allows us to move quickly and focus on delivering measurable impact for clients without as many layers.”

 

Clarification: This story has been updated to include the current name of WME Group.

17401: FCB + IPG = WTF.

This actual job listing posted March 11, 2026, seeks a VP Creative Director for FCB Health in the IPG Health network.

 

Um, FCB and IPG are DOA.

17400: WPP = Wacky Poppycock Perspectives.

Digiday published content about WPP, combining unremarkable reporting, unconventional opinion, and unsolicited advice—seasoned with a smattering of gibberish from Caucasian consultancies and pseudo analysts.

 

Seems everybody’s offering two cents on WPP, apparently unaware that the discontinuation of pennies makes such viewpoint contributions worthless.

 

Not sure why Digiday chose to illustrate the content with an image (depicted above) symbolizing transparency, as there are no references to the notion in the roughly 1200-word exposition.

 

For WPP, transparency is invisible.

 

‘Nobody’s asking the question’: WPP’s biggest restructure in years means nothing until CMOs say it does

 

By Seb Joseph and Kimeko McCoy

 

For all the headlines, LinkedIn posts and hot takes generated by WPP’s Elevate28 plan, the most consequential audience has been largely absent from the conversation: the CMOs and senior marketers at the world’s biggest advertisers. Most have no idea it’s even happened. They don’t read the trades. They hear about this stuff through consultants, or when an agency review forces them to run the rule over who they’re working with.

 

“Nobody’s asking this question. Nobody’s saying, ‘hey, what’s going on over there at WPP?’ It’s just not happening,” says Steve Boehler, founder of agency consultancy the Mercer Island Group, which is currently overseeing several pitches on behalf of major marketers.

 

Which is precisely why the hard part starts now for WPP. The narrative is set. What remains to be seen is whether the group can turn it into something clients actually feel — in their day-to-day work, in their pitches, in the results they’re being asked to deliver.

 

Because ultimately that’s what it always comes down to. These businesses have cycled through enough names and structures to fill a rebrand graveyard — agencies, holding companies, marketing services groups, integrated growth partners — but the underlying test never changes: can they make CMOs more effective? That question has never mattered more. The best CMOs are fighting to move further upstream, closer to where capital flows and the big decisions get made. They need partners who can help them get there. Not agencies still thinking in campaign cycles.

 

“I think it’s appealing only if they [WPP] know what they’re doing right now. It’s not about what’s going to happen six months from now, and they’re able to become a strategic partner to their brands, to the brands that they work with,” said Courtney Brown Warren, CMO of Kickstarter. “If you can feel like an extension of our team, then I don’t think any CMO is necessarily worried about the earnings call.”

 

Whether WPP can be that partner is what this whole restructure ultimately hinges on. The four new divisions, the £500m in promised savings, the folding of Ogilvy, VML and AKQA under a single creative roof, the AI platform, the pivot from holding company to single company — the case has been made. Now it has to be felt.

 

So far the early signs are encouraging. Estée Lauder trusted WPP with $500 million of its media dollars. Tesco stuck with the group in the U.K. and central Europe, citing its tech and AI chops as key factors in the decision. Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover is deep in negotiations to hand the group its global creative and media account. And at least one senior marketer who had privately written off WPP’s chances of retaining their business has seen enough to reconsider. 

 

“Our media account will go up for review later this year and I won’t rule out WPP’s chances of keeping it,” said the marketer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Everything that’s wrong with WPP can be fixed with everything that’s right about it.”

 

They’ll know soon enough. That account joins a wider wave of pitches that will amount to the first real stress test for CEO Cindy Rose’s plan. The competitive context makes it harder still: Publicis has been executing this same playbook for the better part of six years and has the numbers to show for it. Omnicom, meanwhile, arrives at the table flush with the scale and data firepower that comes with absorbing IPG. For WPP, winning back momentum in new business won’t just be a test of the strategy — it’ll be a test of how much ground was lost while everyone else was moving. 

 

“Simplification has been a consistent ask, with many advertisers being vocal about the need for fewer silos, greater accountability and more integrated teams,” said Gerry D’Angelo, former vp of global media at P&G. “In that sense, what WPP is doing now reflects advertiser expectations. Plus, we’ve already seen Publicis and others move toward more unified operating models. The previous complexity of holding companies didn’t match the pace at which advertisers need to operate these days. Strategically, this feels aligned with what advertisers have been asking for.”

 

But spend enough time around WPP right now and the distance between the pitch and product becomes visible. As recently as this week, the group, represented by senior execs including Kate Rowlinson, CEO of WPP Media U.K, Victoria Appleby, U.K. CEO and WPP Media president of T&P and Nick Henthorn, InfoSum svp of U.K. and EMEA, brought two sets of consultants into its London offices to demonstrate how its AI platform might work for one of their clients.

 

It was a meeting that, according to one exec with knowledge of it, spent little time on the new strategic direction and more on making the technology feel tangible. To those in the room, it was a reminder that a credible plan and a felt experience are still two very different things. 

 

The frustrating thing is that none of this is new territory for WPP. The group has spent years investing in tech that its own operating model was arguably designed to resist. Platform tools built for collaboration sat unused because agency teams kept working in their own environments. Data strategies built for media couldn’t talk to creative. AI capabilities were sold into clients before underlying structure was ready to support them at scale. The problem was never the ambition, it was the alignment — or the lack of it. 

 

Publicis solved for this earlier and more ruthlessly, building its tech, data and operating model as a single system rather than a collection of connected parts. The result was a less sophisticated platform but a far more consistent client experience. WPP is now attempting something similar, only later and under considerably more financial pressure. Rose’s restructure addresses the organizational fragmentation directly. But reorganizing around is one thing. Making the tech, the data infrastructure and the commercial model all pull in the same direction — at the same time — is another. 

 

That is the execution risk sitting underneath everything else. The 2017 transparency scandal, the principal buying controversies, the ongoing lawsuit with a lawsuit — much of the damage done to WPP’s reputation traces back to the same combination: structures too complex to hold anyone accountable and margins too squeezed to resist filling the gap elsewhere. Those conditions don’t disappear with a new strategy. If anything, they can compound them. Agency brands get folded, teams get restructured, familiar faces disappear — and clients who thought they knew who to call wake up one morning to find the answer has changed. A simpler WPP with a healthier P&L could break that cycle. The question is whether this time it means it.

 

“Every organization, I believe, needs to consider to what extent they are feeding the dragon that may end up killing them when it comes to AI,” said Ebiquity CEO Ruben Schreurs, whose firm advises major advertisers on media and agency performance. “The agency holdcos, or Marketing Operating Companies as I call them, are exposed to the same risk in the mid-long term, unless they can capture and commercialize sufficient proprietary assets that serve as a sustainable competitive moat.”