WPP CEO Mark Read Discusses Energy Industry Clients, Virtual Worlds, and Coca-Cola Partnerships
In the realm of advertising, WPP, a media business within the WPP Group, has been making waves. The company, led by CEO Mark Read, announced a significant 36% organic revenue growth in 2021, reaching a total of $13.9 billion (£10.397 billion).
However, this financial success has not shielded WPP from scrutiny. The focus of criticism is twofold: the company's work with energy companies and the concerns about "greenwashing" ads.
WPP publicly commits to sustainability and aligns with decarbonization and carbon reduction goals for both itself and its clients. The company presents itself as a leader in combining creativity and AI for sustainable impact. Yet, its ongoing contracts with fossil fuel industry clients have drawn criticism from activists, who label this behaviour as greenwashing and "climate criminal."
On June 25, 2025, activists protested WPP’s extensive fossil fuel contracts, pointing out the contradiction between the company’s sustainability rhetoric and its fossil fuel business. Critics also argue that WPP’s training on "green" campaigns can amount to greenwashing.
The pressure on WPP and other ad agencies intensified in mid-2025, with calls for these firms to stop taking fossil fuel clients altogether. The UN Secretary-General even equated fossil fuel advertising to tobacco advertising in terms of planetary harm.
Meanwhile, WPP’s agency Ogilvy, part of its broader strategic overhaul, is focusing on integrating AI and restructuring internal operations. However, Ogilvy has also been criticized for layoffs and dissolving its DEI team, raising questions about WPP's corporate responsibility approaches overall.
Despite the controversies, WPP continues its work with fossil fuel-burning energy companies, drawing protests from groups like Extinction Rebellion and accusations of hypocrisy regarding its sustainability movement. This tension highlights the challenges for major advertising firms balancing financial realities with ethical and environmental expectations.
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- In the finance sector, WPP's growth, fueled by a 36% organic revenue increase in 2021, has expanded its business beyond advertising, venturing into sectors like the energy industry.
- The conflict of interest arises as WPP, while promoting sustainability and AI for sustainable impact, faces accusations of greenwashing due to its persistent work with fossil fuel-burning energy companies, sparking ethical debates within the industry and wider business world.
