After Winning Verizon Business, Ogilvy Snags Telecom’s Consumer Account

Verizon has named Ogilvy creative agency of record for its consumer business. 

The move follows Verizon’s December 2022 decision to award Ogilvy AOR duties for its Verizon Business unit. Ogilvy had begun working on consumer projects including Verizon’s new consumer brand platform “It’s Your Verizon” and the recently launched NFL Sunday Ticket campaign. 

Diego Scotti, who left the brand earlier this year after almost nine years, had awarded McCann the business in 2015. Verizon is still searching for its next CMO. 

“Ogilvy has proven to be a highly strategic creative partner. Since last year, we’ve been working in close partnership with the Ogilvy team to evolve our creative approach, leveraging powerful insights to illustrate our focus on providing value for our customers,” said Kristin McHugh, svp of marketing and creative at Verizon, in a statement. 

Ogilvy won the consumer business without undergoing a formal review, according to a source familiar with the process.

It’s the latest in a strong winning streak for Ogilvy that began with the WPP agency’s participation in the Coca-Cola pitch in 2021 and continued with winning brands Audi, SC Johnson, H&R Block and Jameson.

Verizon’s roster includes a variety of agencies spanning WPP, Publicis, IPG and independents. Ogilvy began taking on projects for the brand last year before formally winning AOR duties on the business side. Verizon, according to the source, encourages many agencies on its roster to pitch campaign ideas. Ogilvy’s ideas consistently rose above the rest, and its work on the b-to-b business complemented what Verizon marketing executives hope to accomplish on the consumer side. That is, reframe Verizon’s brand for consumers who want more control over their phone plans. 

The latest work reflects that goal. The “It’s Your Verizon” campaign puts a customer at the center of the spot. Verizon, according to the source, wants to creatively communicate that it puts the customer at the center of everything. 

“I kinda just want things the way I want them,” one character says in the aptly named spot. Verizon’s My Plan offering gives consumers options—they can add on services like Travel Pass, Apple One or a Disney Bundle—with this kind of customization being a relatively new shift to the telecom’s strategy.

“It’s an honor to be expanding our relationship with one of America’s most iconic brands,” said Devika Bulchandani, Ogilvy’s global CEO, in a statement. “We are invigorated by a shared ambition of using the exponential power of creativity to propel Verizon’s brand and business to new heights.”

Roster reorganization

McCann will remain in place until the beginning of 2024, and IPG agencies including R/GA and FCB will remain on the roster. Verizon prefers its existing multi-agency model to one that might shift all of its business into a single holding company or agency network, like Ogilvy parent company WPP, the source confirmed.

In a staff memo obtained by Adweek, McCann global CEO Daryl Lee wrote, “Over the last year, it has become a client of creative jump balls, making it extremely hard for McCann to do what we do best, which is to create enduring brand platforms that support everything a brand says and does consistently.”

Moving business out of McCann, however, follows a period of agency consolidation. Last year, Verizon awarded its media planning and buying business to Publicis Media. After the brand acquired prepaid cell service provider TracFone, it promptly parted ways with TracFone’s existing media partner, IPG Mediabrands agency Mediahub. 

In the memo, Lee also shared, “Last night, we were informed by Verizon that we will not be on their creative roster for 2024 and will be transitioning off the business by the end of the year. This is bittersweet news.”

The memo adds that Verizon will work to find new clients and roles for employees who previously staffed the Verizon account. Lee said, “To all the people who toiled on Verizon over the years—we salute you and thank you for your service. You are indeed McCann Strong and represent the best of us!”