Ogilvy 2025: Relentlessly Shaping Culture

In 2025 Ogilvy UK has strengthened its roster of creative talent and bolstered its legacy as an esteemed industry powerhouse.

Led by James Murphy, who joined in September 2024 after New Commercial Arts became part of the Ogilvy Group, it has been win after win.

Ogilvy UK was named number the number one UK agency in Cannes Lions official Creative Rankings. Further accolades included taking home the UK's first strategy Grand Prix for "Real Beauty: How A Soap Brand Created A Self Esteem Movement".

Ogilvy also topped both WARC's Creative 100 and Effective 100 lists.

Meanwhile at the APG awards Ogilvy UK won Strategy Agency of the UK and took home a Grand Prix for its work on Dulux and work with the Mayor of London - testament to new chief strategy officer Amelia Torode and her team.

Other hires included Ed Turner as head of strategy and Tammy Einav as chief client officer, while Charlie Ryder and Alan Makepeace were promoted to joint managing directors at Ogilvy One.

This highlights its status as a multi-purpose, full-throttle agency defined by over 75 years of strategic excellence.

Creative Salon on Ogilvy's 2025

Ogilvy's year has seen some key personnel changes, James Murphy has completed his first year as CEO and André Laurentino's was promoted from UK CCO to EMEA CCO in February this year, with Jules Chalkley taking on his old role.

The social team has also been levelled up - with Imogen Coles recently named as head of influence EMEA. She will be backed by Rachel Porter as head of influence strategy, EMEA and Awie Erasmus with an expanded remit as chief strategy officer, influence, EMEA.

This investment in key talent is borne out by the quality of the work that agency has created. For example for Dove, it flipped the script on social media 'Get Ready' videos by creating Get Unready videos, which tap into the "morning after" to show how Dove can help remove make-up and more.

Equally, for Philadelphia, Ogilvy launched a retail-first campaign in partnership with the New York Bakery. The OOH work highlighted how Philadelphia is a staple of any bagel.

At Easter-time it also launched a clever bunny-inspired out-of-home campaign for the brand.

In another food-focused campaign, Ogilvy worked alongside DAVID Madrid and director Harold Einstein to create humorous films for Hellmann's, entitled 'Sticky Varnish' and 'Vibrations'.

For Martini, Ogilvy created a campaign featuring actor Jonathan Bailey in scenic Italian settings, to celebrate the role of Martini as an aperitivo special.

And for Jameson whiskey Ogilvy has continued its work on the "Must Be A Jameson" platform with campaigns including a St Patrick's Day commercial, which played on its brand qualities including smoothness.

And for Diet Coke, Ogilvy continued to work on the "This Is MyTaste" platform with a spot featuring Jamie Dornan taking a cold water dip.

Carling saw they agency launch a football-focused campaign celebrating 30 years of iconic moments from the Premier League.

And the agency also redefined the lads holiday in partnership with Calm and First Choice via its 'Better Boys' Trips'.

The work focused on PR collaborations with prominent YouTubers, and highlighted alternative itineraries to provide a more balanced experience to mix up the classic booze and party-fuelled experience.

Creative Salon says.... It isn't always easy to be such a huge powerhouse in this industry, especially when you've got the great David Ogilvy's name on your door and shelves already full of awards, but Ogilvy UK honours that status year after year. Those awards shelves just keep getting bigger and bigger.