VML (agency)

This article is about the current VML agency. For its predecessors, see VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.
VML
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAdvertising, Digital Marketing
PredecessorsAgencies VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson
Founded2023 (2023)
HeadquartersKansas City, London, England, New York City, New York[1]
Number of locations
64 markets[2]
Key people
  • Jon Cook (CEO)
  • Mel Edwards (president)[2]
Number of employees
30,000 (2023)[2]
ParentWPP
Websitewww.vml.com

VML is an international marketing and communications company specializing in brand experience, commerce and technology, and customer experience.[2] VML was formed from the merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R. It is a subsidiary of WPP plc, a multinational advertising and public relations holding company.[3]

VML employs more than 30,000 employees in 64 markets worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, and London.[2][1]

History

VML was launched on October 17, 2023, when international advertising group WPP Group merged agencies VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.[4]

VMLY&R

Main article: VMLY&R

VMLY&R was formed in 2018 from the merger of VML and Y&R (Young & Rubicam).[5] VML originally launched in 1992 under Kansas City advertising leaders John Valentine, Scott McCormick and Craig Ligibel, whose initials formed the company's name.[5] The agency offered integrated online and offline advertising services, business consulting and software applications. In 1923, Young and Rubicam (Y&R) was established by John Orr Young and Raymond Rubicam in Philadelphia.[6] The company moved to New York in 1926 as a condition of securing a contract with the newly formed Jell-O company, and later, to 285 Madison Avenue, which remained the company's location for 87 years.[7]

Wunderman Thompson

Main article: Wunderman Thompson

Wunderman Thompson was formed in 2018 with the merger of J. Walter Thompson and Wunderman. 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.[2] J. Walter Thompson was acquired by WPP in 1987.[8] In 1958, direct marketer Lester Wunderman opened Wunderman, Ricotta & Klein (WRK) and is widely considered to be the creator of modern-day Direct Marketing – a term he first used in 1961.[9]

Post merger (2023 - present)

After the merger, VML added Krispy Kreme, Breyers and pharmaceutical company Perrigo as clients.[10][11]

In April 2025, VML combined the agency’s consulting, customer experience (CX), commerce, and technology transformation services into a new Enterprise Solutions division.[12]

Operations

VML is the largest WPP Group agency with more than 30,000 employees located across 64 plus markets.[2] Jon Cook, previously Global CEO at VMLY&R, is CEO, and Mel Edwards, previously Global CEO at Wunderman Thompson, is President.[2] VML is headquartered across Kansas City, New York and London.[1]

VML clients include Unilever,[13] AstraZeneca,[14] Colgate-Palmolive,[15] Dell,[15] Ford,[15] Microsoft,[15] Nestlé,[15] The Coca-Cola Company[15] and Wendy's.[16] VML provides client services around three core practices in brand experience, customer experience and commerce.

Notable campaigns

  • Group Therapy - VML collaborated with French multinational insurance firm AXA and comedian Kevin Hart’s production company Hartbeat to produce “Group Therapy”, a documentary about mental health that streamed on Amazon Prime.[17]
  • Sound Sites - VML collaborated with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to launch the "Sound Sites" campaign, making tourism planning more accessible for blind and low vision communities.[18]
  • Mayo Cat - For the 2024 Super Bowl, VML launched “Mayo Cat” – the latest iteration of Hellmann’s "Make Taste, Not Waste” campaign to raise awareness of food waste. The humorous campaign features Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson and an anthropomorphic cat named Mayo Cat aimed at encouraging viewers to use Hellmann’s Mayonnaise to make new meals out of leftovers.[19][20]

Recognition

  • VML and WPP’s “Thanks for Coke-Creating” as part of the “Every Coca-Cola is Welcome” campaign featured re-interpretations of the Coca-Cola logo with signs, murals and paintings created by local bodegas, shopkeepers and artists. The campaign won several Cannes Lions awards.[21][22]
  • In 2024, VML agency Scholz & Friends Germany won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in Industry Craft for "The 100th Edition" campaign for German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that featured Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.[23]
  • In 2025, the “Phone Break” campaign from VML Czech Republic for KitKat was awarded the Czech Republic’s first Cannes Lions Grand Prix.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b c Spanier, Robert Sawatzky & Gideon (November 29, 2023). "VML's chiefs on new super-agency, redefining creativity and making cost savings". MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Graham, Megan. "WSJ News Exclusive | WPP Merging VMLY&R With Wunderman Thompson". WSJ.
  3. ^ "WPP merges VMLY&R with Wunderman Thompson to form VML". adage.com.
  4. ^ Lepitak, Stephen (October 17, 2023). "WPP Merges VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson to Form VML". www.adweek.com.
  5. ^ a b "The story of VML: from anti-agency roots to fusion with Y&R". www.campaignlive.com.
  6. ^ "A brief history of VML and Y&R - AdNews". www.adnews.com.au.
  7. ^ "The Y&R name retires for good after 100 years—a look back at the agency's highlights". adage.com.
  8. ^ "WPP is merging JWT with Wunderman". adage.com.
  9. ^ Coffee, Patrick (January 11, 2019). "Lester Wunderman, Direct Marketing Pioneer and Original 'Mad Man,' Dies at 98". www.adweek.com.
  10. ^ "Agency Performance Review 2024: VML North America". www.campaignlive.com. April 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "VML boss on how the network is shaping up 100 days into its mega-merger". The Drum.
  12. ^ Only, Subscription (April 7, 2025). "VML Taps Jeff Geheb to Lead $1.5 Billion Enterprise Solutions Group".
  13. ^ Miller, Abby (December 14, 2023). "Breyers Ice Cream Partners with VML for Brand Strategy".
  14. ^ Weissbrot, Alison (January 8, 2021). "VMLY&R picks up creative AOR wins from AstraZeneca". www.campaignlive.com.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Five reasons why... WPP has merged VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson". creative.salon.
  16. ^ Coffee, Patrick (March 9, 2016). "Wendy's Moves Its Creative Account From Publicis New York to VML". www.adweek.com.
  17. ^ Mahmud, Shahnaz (April 8, 2025). "AXA Puts Top Comics in Group Therapy Doc | Muse by Clios".
  18. ^ Petit, Zachary (April 18, 2025). "Tennessee just made an invisible update to its tourism site—and it's brilliant".
  19. ^ Lepitak, Stephen (January 30, 2024). "Kate McKinnon & Mayo Cat Feature in Hellmann's Super Bowl Ad". www.adweek.com.
  20. ^ "Hellmann's new Super Bowl ad will forever change what you hear when cats meow". Fast Company. January 30, 2024.
  21. ^ Schwarz, Hunter (April 9, 2024). "Coke's logo gets a handmade upgrade for its new ad".
  22. ^ "Coca-Cola Wins Cannes Lions Awards for `Every Coca-Cola is Welcome` Campaign". Media Update. July 3, 2024.
  23. ^ "German newspaper's '100th Edition' dedicated to Holocaust survivors wins Industry Craft Grand Prix". adage.com.
  24. ^ Medina, Ivan (June 18, 2025). "KitKat's 'Phone Break' by VML Czechia wins Grand Prix at 2025 Cannes Lions with clever twist on screen time culture".
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