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 geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.[3]
It is a unit of communications conglomerate WPP Group.
History
Founded in 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, Grey acquired its first major client, Procter & Gamble. In 1961, billings reached $59 million and in the same year, Herbert D. Strauss was named president and the firm expanded domestically and internationally.[4][5] In 1961, the firm opened an office in Los Angeles,[4] and in 1962 the firm opened an office in London and in 1963 in Japan.[4][6] In 1964, billings reached $100 million.[4]
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).[4] In 1966, Grey became one of the top 10 agencies in the U.S.[4]
In 1967, Strauss was named chief executive officer and chairman, and Edward H. Meyer was named president.[4][5] In 1969, Strauss was named chairman[5] In 1970, Meyer was named chief executive officer.[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.[4]
In 1973, Strauss died of a heart attack.[5]
Through the 1960s and 1970s, Grey continued to acquire major accounts, and grew into related communication fields. In 1970, Meyer became chief executive officer and would remain in that position for 36 years.[8]
In 2000, Grey Advertising became Grey Global Group.
In late 2005, James R. Heekin III became chief executive officer of Grey Worldwide, Grey Global Group's traditional advertising agency. On January 1, 2007, he became chairman and chief executive officer of Grey Group, the renamed agency holding company.[9]
Grey San Francisco is the company's San Francisco-based West Coast headquarters.[10] Its clients include Symantec,[11] LendingTree,[12] Pernod Ricard,[13] and SunEdison.[14]
In 2016, Grey acquired ArcTouch, a mobile design and development studio, which it operates as a subsidiary.[15]
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.[16]
In August 2017, Grey Group appointed Michael Houston as worldwide chief executive officer on its 100th anniversary.[17]
In November 2020, WPP Group merged Grey Group and AKQA together to create AKQA Group.[18]
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.[19]
Notable work
Leave the Driving to Us (Greyhound)
In 1956, Grey co-founder Arthur C. Fatt wrote the longstanding Greyhound Lines catchphrase "Leave the driving to us."[20]
Villarriba and Villabajo
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.[21]
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."[22]
Time Sculpture
In November 2008, the firm began working with Toshiba to advertise its high-definition television upscaling technology. Its first ad, Time Sculpture, was a British television and cinema advertisement which comprised a collection of interacting movement loops sequenced into a single shot.[23]
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.[24] 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.[25]
External links
References
- One of Cincinnati's largest branding firms merges with N.Y. ad giant Grey Group www.bizjournals.com, retrieved 2018-06-18^
- Nirvik Singh appointed Chairman & CEO of Grey Group Asia Pacific WPP, 2008-12-15, retrieved 2009-01-05^
- Grey Company Profile WPP, retrieved 5 January 2009^
- Advertising Age: "Grey Advertising Agency (Grey Advertising; Grey Worldwide)" September 15, 2003^
- The New York Times: "Herbert Strauss, Ad Official Dies March 18, 1973^
- Suzanne Daley. Lawrence Valenstein Dies at 83; Founder of Grey Advertising The New York Times, September 12, 1982^
- The New York Times: "Arthur Fatt, 94, Advertising Co-Founder" by Joseph B. Treaster January 16, 1999^
- Stuart Elliott. After 36 Years at Grey, Time for Life No. 2 The New York Times, 2006-12-12, retrieved 2023-02-02^
- Grey Global Group appoints James R. Heekin III Chairman and CEO WPP, 2006-12-12, retrieved 2009-01-05^
- Stuart Elliott. Executive From the Agency Grey New York Takes On a Larger Role The New York Times, 2013-07-04, retrieved 2021-08-25^
- Grey SF Nabs Symantec's Norton Biz www.adweek.com, 8 January 2014, retrieved 2021-08-25^
- Noreen O'Leary. LendingTree Hires Grey San Francisco to Expand the Brand's Message May 20, 2015, retrieved 2021-08-25^
- Grey San Francisco Adds a Little Wine to Its Roster adweek.it, 6 October 2015, retrieved 2021-08-25^
- Noreen O'Leary. Grey Becomes SunEdison's First Lead Creative Shop April 21, 2015, retrieved 2021-08-25^
- Grey Group Acquires Mobile Experiences Studio ArcTouch www.prnewswire.com, retrieved 2017-01-20^
- Grey London Changes Name to Valenstein & Fatt in Diversity Drive retrieved 2017-04-25^
- On 100th anniversary, Grey Group appoints Michael Houston worldwide CEO retrieved 2017-11-13^
- WPP creates AKQA Group www.wpp.com, retrieved 2020-12-03^
- Jameson Fleming. Grey Group Names Laura Maness Global CEO Adweek, 19 July 2022, retrieved 2023-02-02^
- Advertising Executive Arthur C. Fatt Dies at 94 The Washington Post, 18 January 1999, retrieved 7 January 2022^
- Sánchez-Silva, Carmen. El mejor anuncio de la historia Cinco Días, 29 January 2016^
- Mark Sweney. Poster ad of white Barack Obama and black John McCain unveiled The Guardian, November 4, 2008, retrieved January 7, 2022^
- Williams, Martyn; "Toshiba, NEC Share Details of Blue-Laser Storage ", IDG News Service, 29 August 2002. Retrieved 24 April 2010.^
- Alex Hern. Refugee rescue app pulled from App Store after it is outed as fake the Guardian, 2016-06-21, retrieved 2016-06-22^
- Apple Pulled This App From iTunes the Same Day It Won a Lion at Cannes AdWeek, 21 June 2016, retrieved 2016-06-22^