• by Larissa Faw , March 3, 2020

WPP is launching WPP Black Ops, a bespoke start-up that will hand-pick staff from within WPP-owned agencies as well as recruiting outside talent to develop customized solutions for clients. 

The concept was first tested with P&G’s SK-II and defined the brand’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic sponsorship in just 48 hours.

The resulting “Beauty is #NoCompetition” was unveiled at the Makers 2020 Conference in Los Angeles last month, with further work launching in the near future.

This pilot initiative now forms the framework for Black Ops by working under what leaders call the “Collapsed Creativity” philosophy to hyper-accelerate creative problem-solving, a mindset that has also been replicated in other agencies. 

The Black Ops team will be led by Nihar Das and Danni Mohammed, collaborating closely with creative consultant Leo Savage.

They will be joined by Nathan Wilson, based in London, to oversee integration and operations. Siddika Dehlvi, based in Singapore, will lead client partnerships and business relations. Siddhartha Singh will lead creative technology innovation and Angelique Malabanan will focus on rapid design prototypes. 

Meanwhile, San Takashima is Japan-based and will specialize in large-scale, innovative production. Israel-based Gilad Kat will deliver platform-backed creative solutions and Tokyo-based Prajat Khare will lead business model development.

“What started out as an experimental working model for one client escalated into a new proposition with wide relevance and appeal that’s all about flexibility – drawing in the right people, and structuring on a bespoke, project-by-project basis,” explains Das. “Our focus is on generating original work and taking clients into new and undefined spaces.”