Grey Group

Background

Grey Global Group is an advertising and marketing agency headquartered in New York City, with offices in 86 countries.¹ The agency has a history of providing advertising and marketing services to several fossil fuel companies, including BP, IndianOil, Pan American Energy, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and Ecopetrol.²

Grey Global was founded as Grey Advertising in 1917 by Lawrence Valenstein.³ It was one of the last large independent ad agencies until it was acquired by WPP for $1.4 billion in 2004.⁴ WPP is a British multinational communications, advertising, and public relations holding company.

In 2020, Grey merged with AKQA, another WPP holding company, to form the AKQA Group.⁵ However, the agency retains its name and continues to operate offices in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.

Stance on Climate Change

Grey’s parent company, WPP, describes its climate change commitments in its 2022 Sustainability Report:⁶

We support urgent action to tackle the climate crisis and aim to reach net zero carbon emissions across our supply chain by 2030.

In regards to its environmental marketing practices, WPP states in the report:

Work that includes environmental claims is being held to ever-higher standards of fairness and objectivity, both by regulators and the general public. This means that it is more important than ever that any claims we make on behalf of clients are authentic, material and matched by real action. In 2022 we launched a Green Claims Guide, designed to equip our people with principles and practical tips to make effective green claims that are not misleading.

Addressing “complaints” directed towards its campaigns, WPP states in the report:

We require that all the work our agencies produce for clients complies with all relevant legal requirements, codes of practice and marketing standards. There are occasional complaints made about campaigns we have worked on, and some of these are upheld by marketing standards’ authorities. Our agencies take action where needed to prevent a recurrence.

In 2020, Grey Group Singapore launched “Sustainably Grey,” a sustainability unit of the agency that provides marketing services for NGOs, climate-focused startups, and government clients to help advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.⁷ As the agency describes:⁸

By applying our creativity we help organizations lead the sustainability revolution. And our efforts are guided by the UN sustainable development goals so we can make marketing more purposeful. Using it as a tool to influence culture and build sustainable behaviors.

In December 2020, Grey Singapore led a webinar on the current role of marketing in creating “climate confusion,” entitled: “Climate Confusion: Can marketing become planet positive?”⁹ The agency writes:

This is just the beginning of our mission to be more sustainable and responsible in our field. The more we know about the effects and impact we have in the world as marketers, the more we can make more conscious efforts in creating a more sustainable planet. #ClimateConfusion #SustainablyGrey

On January 18, 2021, Grey Group Singapore CEO and founder of Sustainably Grey, Konstantin Popović, published an article entitled “Why Ad Agencies Need to Become Climate Activists,” discussing the role of marketing agencies in combating climate change.¹⁰ In the article, he states:

The pandemic and the US election may have stolen the headlines in 2020, but there is no denying that the Climate Crisis is the defining issue of our time. It’s not a cause you chose to participate in or focus your CSR activities on. It is actually not even about the climate. It’s about humanity. Saving humanity, that is.

How often do we stop and reflect to what degree marketing contributed to the problem? Over-consumption, pushing fast fashion, ignoring plastic – we cannot liberate ourselves from the role we play in today’s unsustainable ecosystem.

You could argue that sustainability gets enough media coverage these days, but how much time have you spent lately discussing COVID-19 with your friends vs. discussing the climate crisis? And more importantly, how often are we, the agency community, seeking dialogue with our clients about this subject? Whether you create a dedicated Practice like Grey has done or not, I encourage everyone in our industry to become an active part of the solution.

Although Grey Singapore does not appear to have connections with fossil fuel clients, other branch locations at the agency have provided advertising and marketing services for major oil companies, including BP, IndianOil, Pan American Energy, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and Ecopetrol.¹¹

Key People

Laura Maness

In September 2022, Laura Maness was appointed global chief executive officer of Grey Group.¹² Maness previously served as chief executive officer at Havas New York.

Gabriel Schmitt

In March 2023, Gabriel Schmitt was appointed global chief creative officer at Grey Group.¹³ He previously worked at FCB New York, serving in multiple roles, including executive creative director and chief creative officer, from 2016 to 2023.¹⁴

Emiliano González De Pietri

De Pietri served as an executive at Grey Group in multiple roles from 2013 to 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.¹⁵ While serving as chief creative officer at Grey Colombia, he oversaw the production of Ecopetrol’s “Opening Act” campaign, which won a Cannes Gold Lion in 2017.¹⁶ De Pietri now serves as chief creative integration officer at McCann.¹⁷

Daniel Mosquera Gómez

Gómez served as creative director at Grey Colombia from 2015 to 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.¹⁸ In this role, he oversaw the production of advertising campaigns for Ecopetrol.¹⁹

Vivek Bhambhani

Bahambhani served as an executive at Grey Group India in multiple roles from 2016 to 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.²⁰ In 2023, Bhambhani was appointed group executive creative director (Delhi & Mumbai) at Grey Group. At Grey, Bahambhani has led multiple advertising and marketing campaigns for IndianOil.²¹ ²² ²³

Select Grey Clients

Actions

2021

Grey India created the “Stop Honking” campaign for IndianOil on World Environment Day.²⁴ The outdoor medium campaign included several images of animals with their body parts replaced by sound waves next to facts about how honking harms wildlife and the ad copy, “Stop Honking, Save Lives.”²⁵ The six posters, designed by Grey, were displayed outside of gas stations to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive honking.

2020

In January 2020, WPP’s Team Energy, composed of staff from Grey, VML, Ogilvy, Mindshare, Essence, SocialLabs, and Landor, hosted a creative workshop for BP. A slide deck from the workshop was leaked to climate media outfit Drilled News.²⁶ ²⁷ The presentation provided an overview of strategies to position BP as a part of the solution to climate change, asking questions like: “How do we signal we ‘get it’ in a meaningful way so that people can see BP is leading the change?,” “How do we win the trust of the younger generation who have the loudest voice, and that matter the most in the future?,” and “Can you lead and change perceptions when we’re seen as being part of the problem not the future solution?”

The presentation also provided a summary of BP’s updated brand positioning, stating: “BP is transforming itself to help the world reach carbon neutrality and improve people’s lives. We get it, and no company is more willing or able to make this happen.”

In 2020, Grey Group Argentina designed Pan American Energy’s “Campaña Institucional de Comunicación 360°” to celebrate the company’s integration with AXION Energy.²⁸ The campaign aimed “to show PAE as an integrated energy company, a leader in Argentina and the region, which participates in the entire production chain, from the oil and gas exploration and production to the pump.” Grey created two promotional videos for the campaign:

Pan American Energy. “De donde viene la energía,” YouTube, February 13, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8Y6uT.

Pan American Energy. “Intentar lo imposible,” YouTube, February 27, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/q9yyF.

2019

In 2019, WPP’s Team Energy, composed of staff from Grey, VML, Ogilvy, Mindshare, Essence, SocialLabs, and Landor, launched “The Great Aussie BP Run” campaign for BP to celebrate the company’s 100th year in Australia.²⁹ ³⁰ The campaign included video advertisements and a game with prizes, which customers could play by making purchases at a BP fuel pump or gas station store. By late May 2019, the app had been downloaded more than 120,000 times.

In 2019, Grey Group India created the “Unsung Heroes” campaign for IndianOil.³¹ The campaign included two digital advertisements entitled, “A Common Man with an Uncommon Vision” and “Giving a Voice to Millions.”

Indian Oil Corporation Limited. “A Common Man with an Uncommon Vision,” YouTube, August 31, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cGMcA.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited. “Giving Voice to Millions,” YouTube, August 31, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/HFTs2.

Describing the campaign, Grey India Creative Director, Vivek Bhambhani, said: “When someone is suffering, their loved ones suffer too. And we’ve tried to showcase the joy and hope these Samaritans have bought in the lives of individuals and family members alike.”³²

Referencing the campaign in the same article, Subodh Dakwale, executive director of creative content and branding at IndianOil, stated:

Indian Oil is not only the leading petroleum company, taking care of the energy needs of the nation, but also at its core is the philosophy of placing India first and then business, which translates appropriately in our tagline ‘Pehle Indian Phir Oil’. Passion and care are amongst the core pillars of Indian Oil. These values are also echoed in the spirited works of the unsung heroes. So, our efforts with the campaign have been to create awareness and energise the nation to follow in the noble footsteps of these everyday superheroes.

2018

In 2018, BP selected WPP to handle marketing and communications services for its Corporate, Fuels, and Castrol businesses.³³ WPP created “Team Energy,” a team of staff from several WPP subsidiaries, including Grey, VML, Ogilvy, Mindshare, Essence, SocialLabs, and Landor, to work on the account. Team Energy was based in London, with satellite offices around the world. The account brought in an estimated $4.5 million in revenue in 2018.³⁴

In 2018, Grey Group India created a marketing campaign for IndianOil’s Xtrapremium Petrol brand.³⁵ The campaign included two advertisements designed to encourage consumers to purchase the company’s premium fuel:

Indian Oil Corporation Limited. “XtraPremium petrol Bike TVC,” YouTube, July 2, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Q3Qzh.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited. “XtraPremium petrol Car TVC,” YouTube, July 2, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RNMvC.

In 2018, Grey designed an advertisement for Ecopetrol entitled “Jorge y Juan, pescadores de El Llanito – Petróleo bien hecho” (“Jorge and Juan, fishermen from El Llanito – Oil well done”), which was posted to Ecopetrol’s official YouTube page on October 30, 2018.³⁶ ³⁷ The advertisement features a pair of fishermen from the El Llanito locality in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, and was released only eight months after well 158, an Ecopetrol-owned oil well located in the La Lizama oil field, spilled thousands of barrels of oil into the region.³⁸ While Ecopetrol claims that well 158 only spilled 550 barrels of oil, Colombia’s National Agency of Environmental Licenses (ANLA) estimates as many as 24,000 barrels spilled.³⁹ The spill killed more than 2,400 animals, contaminated 5,000 trees, and forced 480 people from almost 100 families to relocate.⁴⁰

Ecopetrol Official. “Jorge y Juan, pescadores de El Llanito – Petróleo bien hecho,” YouTube, October 30, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/f97v7.

2017

In 2017, Grey Group Colombia released a direct marketing campaign for Ecopetrol, entitled “Primer Acto” (“Opening Act”).⁴¹ ⁴² The campaign was designed for Ecopetrol’s sponsorship of the 2017 Bogotá Book Fair and was made in collaboration with Penguin Random House.⁴³ It aimed to showcase the work of new Colombian authors. To execute the campaign, Ecopetrol republished a collection of books by bestselling authors with an extra short story written by a lesser-known author hidden inside. The campaign won a Gold Lion in the Print and Publishing category at the 2017 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.⁴⁴

“Ecopetrol: Primer acto,” *AdSpot,* n.d. Archived July 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/jm3pD.

“Ecopetrol: Opening Act,” AdSpot, n.d. Archived July 27, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/H6cBV

In 2017, Grey Argentina created an advertisement for Pan American Energy entitled “Hacer las cosas bien” (“Doing Things Well”) to celebrate the company’s 20-year anniversary.⁴⁵ The campaign aimed to portray PAE as an environmentally and socially responsible energy producer.

2016

In 2016, Grey India created a campaign for IndianOil’s Servo Pride XL Plus fuel line.⁴⁶ The campaign included two 40-second advertisements to encourage truck drivers to purchase the fuel:

GREY Group India. “Servo Pride XL Plus – Ganit,” YouTube, July 18, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IXKBT.

GREY Group India. “Servo Pride XL Plus – Kanjoos,” YouTube, July 18, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oxJf0.

2006

In 2006, The Economic Times identified the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) as one of Grey’s “key accounts.”⁴⁷

2005
In 2005, Grey Worldwide won the creative services contract of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) new retail initiative, ONGC Values Ltd (OVAL).⁴⁸ Grey beat out three other agencies that pitched for the contract, including McCann, O&M, and Saatchi & Saatchi.

2004

In 2004, Grey Worldwide secured the corporate advertising account of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).⁴⁹ Grey beat out three other agencies to secure the account, including Contract, Euro RSCG, and Concept. ONGC budgeted roughly $7.5 million dollars for a one-month TV and print advertising effort ahead of the company’s initial public offering in March 2005. Grey India lost the ONGC account in 2011, according to Campaign India.⁵⁰

Tobacco Industry

Grey also has a longstanding history of providing marketing and advertising services for tobacco companies, including Lorillard Tobacco Company, British American Tobacco, Japanese Tobacco International, and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Over several decades, the agency has produced ads for a wide range of cigarette brands, including Kent, Old Gold, Spring 100, and York Imperial 100 (Lorillard); Kool and Newport (British American Tobacco); and Capri, Carlton, Pall Mall, GPC, and Misty (B&W).

2018

In April 2018, Grey Group Beirut, part of Grey Group Middle East and North Africa (MENA), won the account of Japanese Tobacco International to develop its brand management and communication in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with focus on Saudi Arabia.⁵¹

In July 2018, Grey Group Indonesia won the digital media account for Indonesian tobacco company, Gudang Garam Surya.⁵²

2017

In January 2017, Grey Group Beirut won the advertising account for shisha tobacco firm Nakhla Tobacco Company, owned by Japanese Tobacco International (JTI).⁵³ The contract provided Grey Beirut with control of Nakhla’s brand, trade, and consumer global marketing initiatives.

2006

A 2006 press release identified British American Tobacco as one of Grey Group’s “blue chip clients.”⁵⁴

1999

In 1999, B&W awarded Grey the account for its Capri cigarette brand.⁵⁵ The account was estimated to be worth less than $5 million. At the time, Grey also provided advertising for several other B&W brands, including Carlton, Pall Mall, GPC, and Misty.

1998

In 1998, the four largest tobacco companies, Philip Morris Inc., R. J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, and Lorillard, and 52 state and territory attorneys general signed The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).⁵⁶ The agreement settled dozens of lawsuits brought by states seeking to cover billions of dollars in costs from treating smoking-related illnesses.

The issue of advertising played a major role in the Master Settlement Agreement. According to the National Association of Attorneys General, the MSA placed significant restrictions on tobacco advertising, marketing, and promotions. It prohibited tobacco companies from producing advertising and products targeting youth audiences; sponsoring events with a significant youth audience; using cartoons in advertising, promotions, packaging, or labeling of tobacco products; distributing branded merchandise; and paying to promote tobacco products in media, including movies, televisions shows, theater, music, and video games.

Grey Advertising had previously provided advertising services for two of the four major companies involved in the agreement — B&W and Lorillard. Internal documents from Grey were included as evidence in the MSA.⁵⁷

1995

In 1995, British American Tobacco selected Grey to handle advertising for the Silk Cut cigarette brand outside of Europe.⁵⁸ According to The New York Times, billings were estimated at $10 million to $15 million. At the time, Grey also handled advertising for other British American Tobacco international brands, including Barclay, Pall Mall, and Kent, which previously belonged to Lorillard Tobacco.

1994

Grey also provided advertising services for British American Tobacco’s sister company, Brown & Williamson Tobacco. In 1994, a B&W spokesman stated: “Grey is, and remains, our agency for Kool,” the company’s menthol cigarette brand.⁵⁹ At the time, AdWeek estimated that the Kool account was worth $25 million.

1974

In 1974, The New YorkTimes reported that Lorillard and Grey Advertising split after 13 years, citing “irreconcilable policy differences.”⁶⁰ Based on this timeline, the two companies had worked together since roughly 1961.

1969-1966

From 1966 to 1969, Grey was the primary advertiser for Lorillard brand, Kent Cigarettes.⁶¹ ⁶² Annual billings for the account reportedly totaled $13 million.

1968

In 1968, Grey Advertising was awarded Lorillard’s Newport account.⁶³ The agency created the theme line, “Newport makes your world taste good,” which was used in the early 1970s. The account subsequently shifted to another ad agency, Will Graham Co., and then later to Ally & Gargano.

1967

In 1967, Grey advertised for Lorillard brands Kent, Old Gold, Spring 100, and York Imperial 100.⁶⁴ According to AdAge, in 1967 Lorillard’s overall ad spending totalled $41.5 million.

WPP – Parent Company