Report flags WPP’s role in oil companies’ billion-dollar US ad campaigns

A report by The Guardian claims WPP played a central role in executing billion-dollar US ad campaigns for major oil firms following the Paris Agreement

by e4m Staff
Published: May 1, 2026 9:45 AM | 2 min read

WPP has facilitated approximately $1 billion in advertising for major oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP in the U.S. since the Paris Agreement, according to a report by The Guardian citing DeSmog analysis.
The report indicates that WPP was the primary advertising agency for the oil industry over the past decade, assisting in campaigns that allegedly utilized "deceptive and misleading" strategies to oppose climate policies.
Approximately two-thirds of the oil companies' advertising campaigns were produced by agencies within WPP's global network, with WPP being the only major agency to work with all four companies during this period.
Some advertisements faced criticism for misleading messaging, leading BP to voluntarily withdraw a campaign, while WPP and the oil companies did not respond to requests for comment regarding the report.

WPP has helped oil firms ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP spend an estimated $1 billion on advertising in the United States since the Paris Agreement aimed at tackling the climate crisis, according to a The Guardian report citing analysis by climate investigations platform DeSmog.

The Guardian report states that WPP was the leading advertising group serving the US’s oil industry over the past decade, during which ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP employed “deceptive and misleading” communications strategies designed to thwart policies to tackle the climate crisis by curbing the use of fossil fuels, a congressional investigation concluded in April 2024.

The Guardian report claims that WPP played a central role in shaping how the oil sector is perceived—handling everything from campaign concepts and brand identity to media buying and audience insights. The work is believed to have generated millions of dollars in annual revenue for the agency.

Since the Paris Agreement, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP are estimated to have collectively poured around $1.5 billion into advertising placements across the US, spanning television and social media platforms.

The analysis, according to the report, indicates that roughly two-thirds of the campaigns were produced by agencies within WPP’s worldwide network. It also identified WPP as the only major advertising group that collaborated with all four oil companies on marketing assignments during this period.

Within WPP’s portfolio, Ogilvy handled campaigns for BP, while Wavemaker worked with Chevron in the US market. Some of these ads drew criticism over allegedly misleading messaging—including claims like “we see possibilities in planes that fly on garbage.” Although the complaints were not formally pursued, BP later chose to pull the campaign voluntarily.

The report mentioned that WPP and the other ad agencies mentioned did not respond to requests for comment. Shell declined to comment. BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron did not respond to a request for comment.