Ogilvy has announced a thorough restructure and a full rebrand of their identity, making thus the largest transformation in the agency’s 70-year history.
Explaining the move, Ogilvy chief executive John Siefert said: “To meet the changing needs of our clients, we’re taking a bold step to redefine our company and build a new model for our industry.”
The “new Ogilvy” has been described by the agency to contain a newly-unified structure, pulling together digital arm OgilvyOne, Ogilvy Advertising and Ogilvy PR under one Ogilvy Group roof to address the need for more integrated marketing solutions, through a five-pillar system.
First, a new organizational structure changes the more traditional discipline structure into 12 different “crafts” that fall into six core capabilities of brand strategy, advertising, customer engagement and commerce, public relations and influence, digital transformation, and partnerships.
Second is an expanded consulting offering that has evolved from the company’s OgilvyRed practice. Called Ogilvy Consulting, the new facet of Ogilvy’s business has been said to work horizontally across the business, providing consultation in digital transformation, growth, business design and innovation.
Third, a global digital platform called Connect was established to aid knowledge-sharing, professional development and customized community networking through the Ogilvy network.
Fourth, a new partnership model was established. In a statement, Ogilvy said: “This will ensure that the diversity of our leadership – across markets, capabilities, and generations – better represents our brand for the greater good of the company today and tomorrow.”
Fifth, the Ogilvy site and visual identity has undergone under a top-down refresh. Created with the help of independent design firm Collins, the logo has been simplified. The shade of red tied to the Ogilvy brand has been brightened in a different Pantone shade and accompanied by a palette of gray, pink, blue and yellow. The agency’s brand fonts has been adapted and customized, now called Ogilvy Serif and Sans. The company’s website also was redesigned with a minimalist interface, that the agency called “a dynamic destination, showcasing the breadth and depth of the agency’s creative work, talent, and thought leadership.”
Tham Khai Meng, the new Ogilvy Group’s chief creative said: “Our creativity is the foundation of Ogilvy’s global network and the most powerful competitive advantage that we have. We are building on the creative heritage of David Ogilvy to fuel our future.”
