IBM and Ogilvy part ways after three decades
The split comes after Ogilvy chose not to take part in IBM’s forthcoming creative agency review, say media reports
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Published: Mar 21, 2026 9:44 AM | 1 min read
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WPP-owned Ogilvy has stepped away from its position as IBM’s creative agency of record, bringing to a close a 32-year partnership, according to media reports.
The relationship began in 1994, when IBM moved its then $500 million advertising business to Ogilvy. As recently as August 2024, IBM and Ogilvy had commemorated 30 years of working together at a gathering held at Ogilvy’s 3 World Trade Center office.
The split comes after Ogilvy chose not to take part in IBM’s forthcoming creative agency review, the report said.
The report quotes sources familiar with the matter as saying that the move was driven by commercial considerations, particularly longstanding balance-of-trade issues between WPP and IBM, rather than any concerns over Ogilvy’s creative output.
IBM had earlier launched a review of its media business in December 2025, and WPP Media, which held the account, also did not enter that process.
WPP’s decision to end the relationship with IBM comes after WPP decided to bring its three main creative advertising agencies under one banner, WPP Creative. The three creative agencies including Ogilvy, VML and AKQA will be retained under the banner.
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