• by Fern Siegel , October 21, 2024

WPP has won U.S. creative duties for Starbucks after a competitive review.

The coffee company will utilize several WPP shops: Ogilvy, VML and Landor.

The incumbent was Spcshp, formerly Big Spaceship. FCB and Anomaly also competed for the business.

Starbucks said: “We are getting back to Starbucks, telling stories of our unmatched coffee expertise and reminding customers of the special experience that only Starbucks can provide. We are grateful to partner with WPP as our creative agency of record in this journey.”

The review follows a corporate shuffle in August, when Starbucks fired its former CEO Laxman Narasimhan and hired Chipotle's Brian Niccol. Niccol wants to restore the brand to its status as a vital community coffeehouse and regain control of the company’s narrative. He also wants Starbucks’ workers to have better career options.

WPP recently added more Unilever brands to its Dove creative business, as well as being renamed Unilever’s global media agency. In addition, it gained most of Amazon media outside the U.S.

In August, WPP reported flat revs for the first half of 2024, citing pressure in China and the company’s various project-related businesses. Full-year estimates are also expected to be from flat to 1%.