Grey Group is a global advertising and marketing agency with headquarters in New York City,[1] and 432 offices in 96 countries, operating in 154 cities.[2] It is organized into four geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.[3]
The company has won 10 Cannes Lions, an Addy, a Clio and an Emmy Award.[4] Grey Group's European network, Grey EMEA, won 26 Euro Effie awards, and is the five-time Euro Effie Agency Network of the Year, in the four consecutive years of 2005–2008[5] and again in 2012.[6]
History
Founded in 1917 (1917) by Lawrence Valenstein and Arthur C. Fatt, Grey Global Group began as a direct marketing company named Grey Studios, reflecting the color of the wall of its original quarters, changing to Grey Advertising in 1925.
In 1956 (1956), Grey acquired its first major client, Procter & Gamble. In 1961, billings reached $59 million[7] and in the same year, Herbert D. Strauss was named president and the firm expanded domestically and internationally.[7][8] In 1961, the firm opened an office in Los Angeles,[7] and in 1962 the firm opened an office in London and in 1963 in Japan.[7][9] In 1964, billings reached $100 million.[7]
In 1965, the firm went public, trading on the Nasdaq exchange, and the firm expanded into the use of psychographics (the analysis of consumer lifestyles).[7] In 1966, Grey became one of the top 10 agencies in the U.S.[7]
In the 1970s, Grey was responsible for several popular ad campaigns including Star Wars toys for Kenner, aspirin and toothpaste for SmithKline, and Stove Top Stuffing for Kraft General Foods.[7]
Through the 1960s and 1970s, Grey continued to acquire major accounts, and grew into related communication fields. In 1970 (1970), Meyer became chief executive officer and would remain in that position for 36 years.[11]
In 2000 (2000), Grey Advertising became Grey Global Group. On March 7, 2005 (2005-03-07), WPP Group beat out Havas in a race to acquire Grey Global, the seventh-largest advertising agency at the time,[citation needed] for approximately US$1.3 billion.
In late 2005 (2005), James R. Heekin III became chief executive officer of Grey Worldwide, Grey Global Group's traditional advertising agency. On January 1, 2007 (2007-01-01), he became chairman and chief executive officer of Grey Group, the renamed agency holding company.[4] He reports to Martin Sorrell, chief executive officer of WPP Group.
Grey Group, Grey Advertising New York and G2 moved to a LEED certified building at 200 5th Avenue in New York in November 2009, after 45 years at their previous location.[12]
In 2016, Grey acquired ArcTouch, a mobile design and development studio, which it operates as a subsidiary.[18]
In March 2017, Grey's London office announced its rebranding as Valenstein & Fatt for 100 days, to celebrate its Jewish founders and later executives, and to highlight prejudice in society.[19]
In August 2017, Grey Group appointed Michael Houston as worldwide chief executive officer on its 100th anniversary.[20]
In November 2020, WPP Group merged Grey Group and AKQA together to create AKQA Group.[21]
In July 2022, Grey Group named Laura Maness the agency's global CEO, who previously worked at Havas. She is the sixth CEO in Grey history and the first woman to attain the role.[22]
In 1991, Grey Spain conceived for Procter & Gamble an advertising campaign for its Fairy dishwashing liquid for the Spanish market focused on a television commercial in which two fictional towns, Villarriba and Villabajo, compete for the best paella at their popular fiestas. The commercial was soon dubbed into other languages and used in markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Portugal and Greece, modifying the detergent bottle with the corresponding local one. The advertising campaign has been renewed many times over the years, it was expanded to other products of the brand and it has even had local versions in other countries. In 2016, Procter & Gamble –which is one of the largest advertisers in Spain– chose Villarriba and Villabajo as their best advertising campaign ever in the country given its popularity and excellent brand positioning results.[24]
Let the Issues Be the Issue
During the final weeks of the 2008 United States presidential election, the firm debuted a self-funded political ad depicting candidates Barack Obama and John McCain with inverted skin tones and the text "LET THE ISSUES BE THE ISSUE." The campaign was rolled-out both digitally and via newspaper ads and posters hung around New York City. According to creative director Tor Myhren, it was "a non-partisan image. We wanted to address the race issue straight on. And it cuts both ways; if you're hopping on either candidate's bandwagon solely due to the color of their skin, you're voting for the wrong reasons."[25]
In 2009, the firm's London office developed a world record-setting campaign for Toshiba titled Space Chair. The minute-long ad featured the launch of an armchair into near space attached to a weather balloon at an altitude of 29,952 metres (98,268 ft)—making it the highest-altitude television commercial that had ever been filmed.
Awards
In 2010, Grey was listed on Fast Company's "50 Most Innovative Companies". In 2010, it was added to Advertising Age's "Agency A-List". In 2006, Grey was awarded 12 "Spots of the Week" by Ad Age, which placed it second highest overall.[citation needed]
Controversy
In 2016, Grey for Good, Grey Group's philanthropic communications division, created a hoax app that claimed to use crowdsourcing to help the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.[27] After it was debunked by developers, the Apple Store pulled the app on the same day it was awarded a Bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions festival.[28]
Awards and nominations
Year
Association
Category
Nominee(s)
Result
2017
Diversity in Media Awards
Media Company of the Year
Valenstein & Fatt (Grey London)
Nominated
In popular culture
In the AMC series Mad Men, Duck Phillips joins Grey Advertising after being dumped by Sterling Cooper. The agency is frequently referenced as a chief competitor of Sterling Cooper throughout the series.
In episode three of the 2010 series of BBC Three's Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum, the young adults spend a day at Grey Advertising working on a mock sexual health campaign.
