It’s hardly stunning that some senior IPG execs are considering pastures new with the mooted takeover by Omnicom and now McCann UK CEO Polly McMorrow (beneath) is off – reported to be becoming a member of Richard Brim and Martin Beverley’s start-up company as a result of launch in February.
McCann says: “We want to thank Polly McMorrow for the enduring influence she has made on McCann London. Her vitality and keenness might be missed by all – and we look ahead to witnessing what she is going to do in her subsequent artistic enterprise.” Which all sounds very sporting. McMorrow hasn’t commented. Goodness is aware of what new McCann CCO Lynsey Atkin from 4Creative makes of all of it.
Working a community artistic company today is a reasonably grim job with all of the holding retrenching on the artistic facet as they only can’t appear to earn cash out of it. A profitable start-up although can nonetheless be a quick-ish path to riches because the New Business Arts workforce have proven in promoting to WPP and Ogilvy not that lengthy after founders James Murphy and David Golding offered adam&eve to Omnicom’s DDB. Nils Leonard’s workforce at Unusual Inventive Studio are properly on the best way to an additional huge pay-out at Havas.
On the face of it there appears to be one thing odd right here: if artistic companies throughout the board are struggling, why are the massive networks nonetheless shelling out massive sums to purchase promising start-ups? Clearly they’re nonetheless a flagship of types.
As for IPG, with the Omnicom takeover not as a result of shut till the second half of 2025, it clearly must do one thing to stem the expertise move as some shoppers no less than will comply with them.
McMorrow, 14 years at BBH, is a category act and, if she does be part of Brim and Beverley, will create a strong basis for the eagerly awaited start-up.
