VML's London agency, formed from the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, working on brand, customer experience and commerce for clients like HSBC, Boots and KitKat.
VML UK is the London agency of VML, a global creative company formed in 2023 and 2024 when WPP merged VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson. It focuses on three connected areas: brand experience, customer experience and commerce. In the UK it has worked for Boots, HSBC, KitKat, Perrigo, Baileys, Canon, Beko and the road safety campaign Think!. Other 2024 projects include Sela's "Unsilence The Crowd", which adds haptic technology to replica Newcastle United shirts so deaf and hard-of-hearing fans can feel the stadium atmosphere, and Canon's "World Unseen" for blind and visually impaired photographers.
VML says creativity should run through everything it does, not only advertising, and its global leaders say they run "a creative company" rather than a consultancy. In the UK, the team describes a "human-first creative philosophy" that combines human imagination with technical skill. Its parent business, VML, was set up in 2024 from two agencies founded in the 1990s and earlier, so it carries their histories.
VML UK works from Sea Containers, London, the WPP headquarters, where the UK team ended up after two office moves in 2024. In October 2025 Joe Petyan was named UK chief executive, replacing Pip Hulbert, who became chief client officer for international markets. Earlier leaders named include Ryan McManus (UK chief creative officer) and Ben Worden (UK chief strategy officer). The agency is joining its core creative business with VML's Enterprise Solutions arm, which covers consulting, customer experience, commerce and technology. Globally VML has about 30,000 staff in 64 markets and no single headquarters, with leadership spread across Kansas City, New York and London.
In 2024 VML UK reported 140 awards worldwide, including six Cannes Lions for work such as Baileys' Sound Scales and the Beko Inheritance. Its culture includes Foundation Day, when VML closes more than 100 offices worldwide for volunteer work. The agency says it has supported over 250 causes in two decades. A 2024 profile said leaders aimed to bring all teams under one roof for better collaboration. These are the agency's own claims.
Roles include creative, strategy, data and analytics, consulting, commerce, technology and account management. The data and consultancy side is a visible part of the business, with a head of data analytics and consultancy hired from VCCP in 2024. UK headcount was not stated in the pages we read.
Website: www.vml.com
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