WPP has realigned the Grey agency network with Ogilvy, the holding company confirmed today. 

WPP acquired Grey in 2005 and in 2020 aligned it with the AKQA Group that was led by agency founder Ajaz Ahmed. AKQA was acquired in 2012. 

Ahmed resigned last fall after 30 years with the agency and recently unveiled a new agency called Studio.One.  

In a statement, WPP said that as the search continues for a leader to succeed Ahmed the firm believed it was “a good time to look at the best structure to serve the needs of our clients. With Grey’s award-winning creative roots and AKQA’s design and technology expertise, the change will allow each agency to focus on its core strengths.” 

It added that “Grey will continue to operate as an independent, standalone agency brand within the Ogilvy network, just as it has within AKQA Group.” 

The only immediate reporting change with the shift is that Grey Global CEO Laura Maness will now report to Ogilvy Global CEO Devika Bulchandani. 

In a memo to Ogilvy staffers Bulchandani wrote that she and Maness “will be working closely to find opportunities to deepen collaboration and drive growth for both Grey and the broader Ogilvy network.” 

 This includes looking at areas where “Ogilvy's complementary capabilities – from Ogilvy One and Ogilvy Consulting to Ogilvy PR’s expertise at the intersection of earned, social, and influence – can add value to Grey's clients, and vice versa.” 

In a separate note to the Grey team, Maness wrote that given Grey’s improved performance in recent years, “this realignment with Ogilvy is a natural fit. Both Grey and Ogilvy believe in the power of creativity to solve business problems and deliver more impactful solutions for our clients.”  

She added that “existing collaborations between Grey and AKQA will remain in place, while we continue to explore opportunities with AKQA, and others across WPP to best service our clients.” 

During WPP’s first quarter earnings call last month CEO Mark Read was asked whether he’d consider selling AKQA, just as Interpublic recently sold two of its older and financially struggling digital agencies. 

Read replied, “I don’t think we want to do what IPG did with Huge and R/GA ... The reason we get paid is to fix businesses in our portfolio.”  

AKQA, he asserted, is a robust agency and brand. “We have a strong asset, and our focus is on improving it.” 

The new AKQA CEO is expected to be named in the summer.