Campaign has learned that WPP’s Ogilvy is no longer IBM’s creative agency of record after 32 years of partnership.
The partnership began in 1994 following IBM’s decision to consolidate its US$500 million advertising account with Ogilvy. Past campaigns include Solutions for a Small Planet, E-Business, Smarter Planet, Watson, Think and Let’s Create. IBM’s Smart Ideas for Smarter Cities campaign, created by Ogilvy France, won the Outdoor Grand Prix in 2013 at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. IBM also became the first B2B brand to be inducted as the corporate honoree into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 2022. The brand and agency commemorated the 30-year milestone in August 2024 with a celebration at the agency’s global headquarters at 3 World Trade Center.
“Ogilvy has made the decision not to participate in the upcoming creative RFP for IBM. We are immensely proud of our 32-year partnership, a tenure nearly unrivaled in this industry,” an Ogilvy spokesperson told Campaign in a statement. “Together, we have built one of the world’s most iconic brands through campaigns that defined eras of technological progress. While we have chosen not to move forward in this process, we celebrate our shared history and wish the IBM team continued success.”
According to a source with knowledge of the relationship, this was a business decision made because of longstanding balance-of-trade friction between WPP and IBM, rather than a reflection of the creative partnership. IBM previously held a media account review in December 2025. Incumbent WPP Media decided not to participate in the review.
The news follows WPP CEO Cindy Rose’s recent announcement to divide the holding company into four operating units — WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions. They will be led across four regions: North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC. “We don’t want to be a holding company anymore,” Rose told Campaign in an interview after announcing the new three-year strategy, “Elevate28,” in a bid to stem its worsening revenue decline.
Campaign has reached out to IBM for comment.
Source: Campaign US
