WPP AUNZ drops Ogilvy name from PR operation, reveals ‘Opr’ after global restructure
WPP AUNZ’s public relations operation Ogilvy PR has dropped the famous Ogilvy name, rebranding to simply Opr.
As part of the move, the rebranded agency will also be dropping out of the Ogilvy Worldwide network and all Ogilvy names will be removed from the local PR businesses.
Opr’s new branding
The news comes following the overnight announcement that the iconic Ogilvy will be rebranding and restructuring.
A WPP AUNZ spokesperson told Mumbrella: “When Ogilvy PR Australia first launched in 2001, it was a landmark in the public relations industry. For the first time, one agency joined together a specialised, unique and highly focused group of people engaged in communications, and created a fantastic and very special culture.
“We are proud of this history, and our Ogilvy heritage. But we can’t rest on pride alone. To keep our leadership position, we know we must evolve. To branch out on our own beyond our Ogilvy family. And with the global Ogilvy network moving to a more streamlined structure across all capabilities, we have decided that time is now.”
Despite dropping the Ogilvy name, Opr CEO Richard Brett said the rebranding signifies a nod to its heritage saying: “Our new name reflects the power of the letter O in our heritage. Yet as we evolve the agency we have thought hard about our purpose and what we do best for clients.
“Our new strapline ‘Believability is our business’ reflects the importance of truth and factual storytelling in the era of fake news and ‘alternative facts’. Our discipline is uniquely placed to help organisations and brands navigate these new complexities.
“Since its creation in 2001, Ogilvy PR has always been a specialised, unique and highly focused group of people engaged in communications with a fantastic and very special culture. It has become the leader in its field; providing unparalleled expertise across brand marketing, technology, public affairs, government relations, corporate communications, healthcare, B2B and employee engagement.”
The team, structure and clients will remain unchanged, while Opr will continue to work with the Ogilvy PR APAC network on existing clients, the company said.
As part of the rebrand, Ogilvy PR Health becomes Opr Health and Ogilvy Impact becomes Opr Employee Experience, while Pulse, Howorth and Parker & Partners will continue under their existing names.
Kieran Moore, CEO WPP AUNZ PR & PA added: “The Opr brand provides a new position in the marketplace, the business otherwise continues as usual.
“It will continue to service our outstanding and market-leading clients, our talented team will continue to provide best-practice communications campaigns and programs and our strong relationship with the broader WPP family remains. Same leadership, same talent, same expertise – and a different name.”
