Wunderman Thompson
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAdvertising, Digital Marketing
PredecessorsAgencies J. Walter Thompson and Wunderman
Founded2018 (2018)
HeadquartersNew York City, New York
Number of locations
200 offices in 90 markets
Key people
Mel Edwards (Global CEO)
Number of employees
20,000 (2019)[1]
ParentWPP
Websitewww.wundermanthompson.com

Wunderman Thompson is a New York–based global marketing communications agency with 200 offices in 90 markets. It is part of international advertising group WPP Group (NYSE: WPP). Wunderman Thompson was formed in 2018, when parent WPP merged agencies J. Walter Thompson and Wunderman.[2] On October 17, 2023, WPP announced that Wunderman Thompson is being merged into VMLY&R.[3]

History

J. Walter Thompson

J. Walter Thompson was founded in 1864 by James Walter Thompson and traces its origins to the Carlton & Smith agency, one of the first known advertising agencies in the United States.[4]

J. Walter Thompson was acquired by WPP in 1987.[5]

Wunderman

In 1958, direct marketer Lester Wunderman, alongside his brother Irving Wunderman, and colleagues Ed Ricotta and Harry Kline, opened Wunderman, Ricotta & Klein (WRK).[6] Founder Lester Wunderman is widely considered to be the creator of modern-day Direct Marketing—a term he first used in 1961.[6]

In 2000, the firm became part of WPP's $5.7B acquisition of parent Young and Rubicam.[6]

In 2013, WPP acquired the ecommerce consultancy Salmon. [7]

In 2019, WPP acquired the ecommerce agency CSP Commerce. [8]

Post merger (2019–present)

In 2018, WPP merged Wunderman with J. Walter Thompson Co., and in the first quarter of 2019, unveiled its new identity as Wunderman Thompson.[9][10] Wunderman CEO Mel Edwards was named Global CEO of the new entity.[11]

In March 2019, WPP merged its agencies POSSIBLE and Cole & Weber with Wunderman Thompson.[12]

In December 2020, the agency launched a global brand study called "Inspiring Growth", which ranked the most inspiring brands in the world.[13]

In June 2021, Wunderman Thompson won the Innovation Lions Grand Prix at the 2021-2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for Degree Inclusive deodorant.[14] In September, the agency expanded its global brand study with research on the role of inspiration in people's lives.[15]

In January 2022, Wunderman Thompson launched a virtual reality metaverse at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, showing how virtual and physical worlds can converge.[16] In July, the company's Wunderman Thompson Health division created a smallpox simulator for smallpox medication maker Meridian, to help governments plan for future infectious disease outbreaks.[17]

Notable clients

The company's notable clients include financial company HSBC,[18] Rolex,[19] Samsung,[20] Shell Oil Company,[21] the US Marine Corps,[22] Vodafone,[23] British Telecom,[24] Unilever[25] and Nestlé.[26]

Notable campaigns

Some of the agency's notable campaigns include:

Inspiring Growth

Wunderman Thompson issues a global brand study called "Inspiring Growth", which ranks the most inspiring brands in the world, using data from WPP's proprietary BAV dataset.[34] Part of its study is an annual Inspire Score based on a proprietary diagnostic tool to rank the top 100 inspiring brands around the world.[13] The study also includes research on the role of inspiration in people’s lives.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Wunderman Thompson CEO Mel Edwards on Leading a 20,000-Person Merger". AdExchanger. January 24, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  2. ↑ "WPP is merging JWT with Wunderman". Ad Age. November 26, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ "WPP unites Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to create global powerhouse in VML".
  4. ↑ "J. Walter Thompson American Advertising Agency". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Sir Martin Sorrell: advertising man who made the industry's biggest pitch". The Guardian. July 3, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Lester Wunderman, Direct Marketing Pioneer and Original 'Mad Man,' Dies at 98". AdWeek. January 11, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Wunderman joins forces with Salmon to launch new commerce division".
  8. ↑ jamescarr (2023-07-24). "Cloud Seller Pro rebrands to CSP Commerce". CSP Commerce. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  9. ↑ "J. Walter Thompson & Co. and the 1964 Advertising Age Commemorative Issue". American Marketing Association New York. December 31, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  10. ↑ "WPP Reveals Branding for Its Newly Merged Brands Wunderman and Thompson". MarTechSeries. February 15, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Wunderman Thompson CEO Mel Edwards On Leading A 20,000-Person Merger". AdExchanger. May 18, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  12. ↑ "WPP Folds Possible, Cole & Weber Into Wunderman Thompson Seattle as Part of 'Powerhouse' Merger". AdWeek. March 12, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "'Inspiration gap' offers major growth opportunities for brands, says new study". Mediatel News. December 9, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Unilever's Degree Inclusive takes Innovation Grand Prix at Cannes". AdAge. June 24, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "New Study Looks at the Important Role 'Inspiration' Plays in Consumer's Lives". Branding in Asia. September 17, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Wunderman Thompson Unveils Its Own Metaverse at CES". AdWeek. January 6, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Wunderman's 'smallpox simulator' models outbreaks, to chilling effect". MM+M Online. July 15, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  18. ↑ "HSBC consolidates global creative account with WPP as lead agency". Campaign Live. March 17, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Amp Spotlight: Nostalgia Reigns over Awards Season". AdAge. February 26, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Samsung Mobile Sends $10 Million Social Media Account to Wunderman Thompson". AdWeek. May 8, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  21. ↑ "As Shell shifts spend to target younger drivers, it is leaning on its agencies more than ever". The Drum. May 20, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Wunderman Thompson Atlanta Retains US Marine Corps Account". AdAge. September 19, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Vodafone present Mr. Americo". Shots. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  24. ↑ "BT commissions artist to celebrate connection". Campaign Live. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  25. 1 2 "Degree's new deodorant is designed with disabled people in mind". Fast Company. April 26, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  26. ↑ "KITKAT: The KitKat Kit by Wunderman Thompson". The Drum. January 1, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Striking Just the Right Tone, Bose Sends a Message to Your Noisy Neighbors in Quarantine". AdWeek. May 19, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Burger King uses extra onions to equip The Whopper for social distancing". Fast Company. May 21, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Red Cross Is Using Fortnite to Get Gen Z Into Lifesaving Mode". Muse buy Clio. January 27, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  30. ↑ "KITKAT reminds people to snap out of GPS dramas in latest campaign via Wunderman Thompson". Campaign Brief. May 16, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  31. ↑ "How Nestlé and Wunderman Thompson Australia Sparked a Viral Brand Moment on TikTok". AdWeek. September 28, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Salt water lamp WaterLight set to power communities without electricity". Design Week. April 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Hellmann's returns to Super Bowl with Reebok's 'Office Linebacker'". AdAge. January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Wunderman Thompson names top brands". Research Live. November 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
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