WPP Group: chronology
Landmarks
This chronology is indicative only.
Sponsored links
It covers -
- antecedents
- WPP
Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.
Antecedents
1917 Grey Studios founded by Larry Valenstein
1923 Young & Rubicam founded by Raymond Rubicam and John Orr Young
1934 J Walter Thompson invents soap opera with Lux Radio Theater in US
1948 David Ogilvy founds New York-based Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather
1953 name changed to Ogilvy Benson & Mather
1959 Grey opens office in Montreal
1962 acquires agency in London
1963 Grey establishes Grey Public Relations
1965 Mather & Crowther becomes Ogilvy & Mather International
1965 Grey goes public
1975 Martin Sorrell joins Saatchi & Saatchi
1980 J. Walter Thompson corporation communications division becomes Brouillard Communications
1984 Ogilvy renamed Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
WPP
1986 Sorrell buys Wire & Plastic Products (WPP)
1987 WPP buys J Walter Thompson for US$566m
1989 WPP buys Ogilvy & Mather for US$825m
1993 buys Kantar
1998 buys Smith & Jines Communications
1999 buys Marketing Perspectives
2000 buys Young & Rubicam group for US$4.7bn
2000 Grey absorbs Callegari Berville in Paris
2001 WPP buys Forward
2001 buys MCA
2001 buys Penn Schoen & Berland
2001 buys Global Sportnet
2001 buys Tempus group for US$640m
2001 Grey acquires Tunheim Group
2002 buys Atlanta-based 360
2003 WPP buys Dutch market research agency Centrum voor Marketing Analyses
2003 successfully bids for Cordiant group
2003 buys 30% stake in Mediapro Group (active in Spain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, US and Hungary)
2003 buys Washington PR firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates
2003 Grey buys Darwin oncology communications company
2004 buys Japanese advertising and medical education company MIT
2004 WPP buys Grey Global for US$1.3bn (£720m)
2005 pays £33m for The Communications Group (TCG) - Australian ad agency George Patterson Partners, majority stake in Ideaworks and outdoor advertising firm Media Puzzle.