In a strategic move, telecommunications giant Verizon is set to transition its lead agency for its consumer business from McCann to Ogilvy, a subsidiary of WPP.
McCann had been overseeing the account since 2015, but the official handover to Ogilvy is expected to take place in 2024. This agency shift will not impact other agencies on Verizon’s roster, which includes FCB, R/GA, Golin, MRM, and Momentum, all under the Interpublic Group (IPG).
The decision to change agencies comes during a period of transformation for Verizon’s consumer cellular brand, following the departure of its long-serving Chief Marketing Officer, Diego Scotti, who announced his exit earlier this year.
Ogilvy has been making significant inroads into Verizon’s portfolio, having previously secured the company’s business-to-business account in December of the previous year. This latest development reinforces Ogilvy’s position as a key partner for Verizon.
Kristin McHugh, Senior VP of Marketing & Creative at Verizon, commended Ogilvy’s strategic creativity and expressed enthusiasm for expanding their partnership. She emphasized the agency’s ability to provide value to customers and highlighted their collaborative efforts over the past year.
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Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO of Ogilvy, echoed these sentiments, describing the honor of expanding their relationship with one of America’s most iconic brands. She emphasized their shared commitment to leveraging creativity to elevate Verizon’s brand and business to new heights.
According to Ad Age, Ogilvy has recently launched two campaigns for Verizon, focusing on NFL Sunday Ticket and the introduction of the new myPlan offering. This move by Verizon follows its decision to consolidate media operations under Publicis Groupe after the acquisition of Tracfone last year.
In response to the agency shift, Daryl Lee, Global CEO of McCann Worldgroup, conveyed the news to McCann’s internal team, recognizing their efforts and contribution to Verizon over the years. Lee assured the team that the agency would actively work to find new opportunities within its growing client portfolio for the members involved with the Verizon account.
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