WPP merges design shops into Design Bridge and Partners

WPP has merged design agency Design Bridge with Superunion, a brand and design consultancy, to create Design Bridge and Partners. The new company will launch in January and will allow clients to leverage a full range of “design expertise, driving growth and transformation," according to WPP, bringing together experts in brand strategy and design, graphic, motion, digital, physical and communication design. The two agencies will operate separately until next year. Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here John Morris, the CEO of Design Bridge, will take on the role of CEO of the new global business; Jim Prior, currently CEO of Superunion, will become chair. The remainder of the management team and creative leaders will be announced at a later date, but will be comprised of current leaders at both Design Bridge and Superunion. Design Bridge works with clients such as Diageo, Unilever, Mastercard and Fortnum & Mason. Meanwhile, Superunion is known for work it's done for clients like NASA, Bank of America, Intel and the BBC. “Design Bridge and Partners will be a leader in design and an important part of our simpler, future-facing client offer,” Mark Read, CEO of WPP said in a statement. “Formed from two successful companies in Design Bridge and Superunion, it will create new growth opportunities both for our people and our clients.” This is the latest merger for the holding company. In April, Essence merged with MediaCom to form EssenceMediacom and Mindshare combined with performance marketing shop Neo. In 2020 WPP formed AKQA Group, composed of Grey and AKQA. That same year, WPP merged Geometry and VMLY&R to create VMLY&R Commerce, which started operations in January of 2021.

WPP merges design shops into Design Bridge and Partners

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