WPP won The Coca-Cola Company’s integrated global business in 2020 and set up a bespoke agency called Open X to service the account across 200 countries.
At the time, Dentsu was also brought on as a “complementary” media partner to offer “differentiated capabilities” at a local level within a few select markets in Asia. Coca-Cola also set up an “open-source strategic roster” that it said at the time would account for one-third of all marketing work, and includes Publicis and IPG agencies.
“Over the course of more than three years, the partnership with WPP has delivered significant value to Coca-Cola,” said Manolo Arroyo, global chief marketing officer of The Coca-Cola Company, in a statement shared with ADWEEK. “This includes Coke being named Creative Brand of the Year at the Cannes Lions in 2024 and stepped-up capabilities such as Studio X.”
According to its Form 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Coca-Cola Company spent $5.15 billion on advertising globally in 2024, up from $5 billion in 2023 and $4.32 billion in 2022.
Coca-Cola reported net revenue of $47.1 billion in 2024, up 3% from the previous year, and it expects organic revenue growth of 5% to 6% in 2025.
This story has been updated to reflect that WPP has held the Coca-Cola business for three-and-a-half years, not five as previously stated, and that the win counts U.S. and Canada. It has also been updated with a statement from Coca-Cola.
