Ogilvy
Professional services
UnclaimedA global advertising, marketing, public relations, experience, and brand-consulting agency descended from a London firm founded in 1850 and reshaped by David Ogilvy in New York.
Last updated October 6, 2026
Overview
Ogilvy is a global marketing communications and professional-services agency operating within WPP plc. Its history combines two strands: the London advertising business established by Edmund Charles Mather in 1850, later known as Mather & Crowther, and the New York agency launched by David Ogilvy in 1948. The two businesses came together in 1964, when the organization adopted the name Ogilvy & Mather, creating the institutional foundation of the modern Ogilvy network. The London predecessor developed during the early expansion of newspaper advertising. It helped advertisers understand the commercial value of paid media and produced educational material for manufacturers and other clients. The business became particularly visible through broad consumer campaigns in the early twentieth century, including work associated with the phrases “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and “Drinka Pinta Milka Day.” Francis Ogilvy joined Mather & Crowther as a copywriter in 1921 and later became its first leader from outside the founding family. He also helped his younger brother David enter the advertising business. David Ogilvy brought a research-led and information-rich approach to advertising. After experience in sales and market research, including work connected with the Gallup organization, he founded a New York agency on September 23, 1948. The firm initially operated as Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, using relationships with British agencies to support its American launch. Its early work established principles that became closely associated with the Ogilvy name: consumer research, clear positioning, long-form copy when useful, disciplined brand presentation, and a belief that creative work should contribute to measurable business results. The agency expanded internationally and became known for landmark brand-building assignments, including work for brands such as Rolls-Royce, Dove, IBM, American Express, and Hathaway. Its reputation was built not only on individual advertisements but also on repeatable approaches to brand identity, direct response, public relations, and integrated communications. In 1989, WPP acquired the agency, bringing Ogilvy into one of the world’s largest marketing-services groups while allowing it to retain a distinct global identity. Today, Ogilvy describes its work across growth and innovation; advertising, brand, and content; public relations and influence; experience; and health. Ogilvy Consulting provides strategy and growth advice, while specialist operations and affiliated businesses extend the network into areas such as health communications, digital transformation, experience design, and creative production. The agency serves multinational corporations, consumer brands, technology companies, healthcare organizations, and public-sector or institutional clients across multiple regions. The modern brand has progressively shortened its public name from Ogilvy & Mather to Ogilvy, reflecting a broader positioning beyond conventional advertising. Its stated role is to design brands, turn brands into experiences, and communicate their stories. Ogilvy remains active internationally as a WPP agency, with its heritage rooted both in the nineteenth-century London business and in David Ogilvy’s 1948 New York venture.
History
Ogilvy’s institutional history begins in London in 1850, when Edmund Charles Mather established an advertising agency on Fleet Street. As newspaper advertising developed, the firm helped manufacturers understand how paid media could support sales and produced practical guidance for the emerging profession. After Mather’s death, his son Harley Lawrence Mather worked with Herbert Oakes Crowther, and the business became Mather & Crowther. The firm also maintained transatlantic connections, including an American presence during the nineteenth century. Mather & Crowther grew in the early twentieth century as advertising became more systematic and national in scope. Its work included broad public-information and consumer campaigns, among them the expressions associated with eating apples daily and drinking milk. In 1921, Francis Ogilvy joined the company as a copywriter. He later became the first non-family leader of the agency and helped his younger brother David begin a career in advertising, including a period selling the AGA cooker. David Ogilvy developed an approach influenced by sales practice, market research, and American advertising. He worked with the Gallup organization and studied how research could inform creative decisions and message strategy. After moving to the United States, he opened a New York agency on September 23, 1948. It was initially called Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, reflecting the support of partner firms and the participation of S. H. Benson and Hewitt Associates. The agency began as a small Madison Avenue operation but soon attracted major accounts. Under David Ogilvy’s influence, the agency became associated with advertising that combined strong visual ideas with detailed, factual copy and explicit brand positioning. Its celebrated work for Rolls-Royce, Dove, Hathaway, American Express, IBM, and other clients helped establish a durable reputation for brand-building. The agency also developed capabilities in direct marketing, public relations, research, and international account management, allowing it to serve clients across markets rather than functioning solely as a traditional creative shop. In 1964, the New York agency merged with the London Mather & Crowther business, and the combined organization became Ogilvy & Mather. This merger united the David Ogilvy agency with the older Mather lineage and created a stronger international platform. The network continued expanding through offices, partnerships, and specialist capabilities. Its identity remained tied to David Ogilvy’s principles even as its work broadened from print and broadcast advertising into digital media, public relations, consulting, design, commerce, and experience. WPP acquired Ogilvy & Mather in 1989. The transaction placed the agency within a large global holding-company structure and gave it access to broader international resources. Ogilvy continued operating as a recognizable agency brand while participating in WPP’s worldwide client and capability network. In the twenty-first century, Ogilvy expanded its offer beyond advertising. Its publicly described areas include growth and innovation; advertising, brand, and content; public relations and influence; experience; and health. Ogilvy Consulting addresses business strategy and growth, while specialist businesses and practices work in areas such as digital transformation, experience design, health communications, and data-enabled marketing. The company has also simplified its public-facing name from Ogilvy & Mather to Ogilvy. The modern Ogilvy presents itself as a partner that designs brands, converts them into experiences, and communicates their stories. It works with international and regional clients across consumer goods, technology, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors. Its heritage therefore spans both a nineteenth-century British advertising firm and a 1948 New York agency founded by David Ogilvy. The active organization remains part of WPP and operates internationally across integrated communications and brand-related professional services.
- 2024
Further Cannes Global Network of the Year recognition
[4]Ogilvy was again reported as a Cannes Lions Global Network of the Year.
- 2022
Cannes Global Network of the Year recognition
[4]Ogilvy was reported as Cannes Lions Global Network of the Year.
- 1989
WPP acquires Ogilvy & Mather
[2]Ogilvy & Mather became part of WPP’s global marketing-services group.
- 1964
The London and New York businesses merge
[2]The combined organization adopted the Ogilvy & Mather name after the merger of Mather & Crowther with David Ogilvy’s New York agency.
- 1948
David Ogilvy opens a New York agency
[2]David Ogilvy founded Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather in Manhattan, establishing the New York agency that shaped the modern brand.
- 1921
Francis Ogilvy joins Mather & Crowther
[2]Francis Ogilvy joined the London agency as a copywriter and later became its first leader from outside the founding family.
- 1850
Edmund Mather establishes a London advertising agency
[2]Edmund Charles Mather founded the London business that became the historical predecessor of Ogilvy.
Products and positioning
A research-informed, creativity-led global partner for brand building, integrated communications, customer experience, public relations, health marketing, and growth strategy.
Creative and brand communications
Advertising, Brand and Content
Ogilvy develops brand platforms, campaign ideas, content systems, and integrated creative communications across traditional, digital, social, and emerging media. The practice reflects the agency’s historic emphasis on research, positioning, distinctive brand presentation, and creative work connected to business objectives.
Business and marketing innovation
Growth and Innovation
This capability helps organizations identify growth opportunities, understand changing customer behavior, develop new propositions, and connect innovation with brand and commercial strategy. It extends Ogilvy’s role from campaign execution toward broader transformation and growth advice.
Strategy consulting
Ogilvy Consulting
Ogilvy Consulting is the agency’s strategy division. It works on brand, marketing, customer, and growth questions and can connect strategic recommendations with the network’s creative, experience, public-relations, and technology capabilities.
Public relations
Public Relations and Influence
The public-relations and influence practice covers reputation, corporate communications, earned media, stakeholder engagement, social influence, and issues-related communications. It is intended to help brands build credibility and participate in conversations beyond paid advertising.
Customer experience and digital
Experience
Ogilvy’s experience work includes digital products, customer journeys, commerce, service design, activation, and other interactions through which people encounter a brand. The practice supports the agency’s stated ambition to turn brands into coherent experiences rather than limiting them to communications.
Health communications
Ogilvy Health
Ogilvy Health serves healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical, and wellness clients with communications, brand strategy, creative, public relations, and related engagement services. Its work adapts the wider Ogilvy network’s brand and communications expertise to regulated and clinically sensitive markets.
Marketing campaigns
- 1920Drinka Pinta Milka Day
United Kingdom
Mather & Crowther was linked to the milk-consumption campaign built around the memorable “Drinka Pinta Milka Day” line.
Outcome. The campaign became an enduring example of slogan-led public advertising in Britain.
- 1910An apple a day keeps the doctor away
United Kingdom
Mather & Crowther was associated with the popularization of the non-branded public-information advertising line encouraging daily apple consumption.
Outcome. The phrase became a durable example of early mass-market advertising and health-oriented consumer messaging.
Brand decisions
2018
Adopt the shorter Ogilvy identityStrategyBackground
The agency’s scope had expanded beyond traditional advertising into experience, consulting, public relations, health, and digital services.
Action taken
The public-facing brand was simplified from Ogilvy & Mather to Ogilvy.
Aftermath
The shorter name positioned the organization as a broader brand and customer-experience partner rather than only an advertising agency.
1989
Join WPPM&ABackground
Ogilvy & Mather pursued a place within a larger international marketing-services network.
Action taken
WPP acquired Ogilvy & Mather.
Aftermath
Ogilvy became a major agency brand within WPP while retaining its own market identity and service portfolio.
1964
Merge Mather & Crowther with the New York agencyM&ABackground
The London advertising lineage and David Ogilvy’s New York operation were combined to create a stronger transatlantic agency.
Action taken
The merged organization adopted the Ogilvy & Mather name.
Aftermath
The merger established the international structure and name most closely associated with the agency through the late twentieth century.
Recent events
- 2024
Ogilvy was again named Cannes Global Network of the Year[4]
Other
The agency was reported as a Cannes Lions Global Network of the Year, reinforcing its continuing international creative profile.
- 2022
Ogilvy was named Cannes Global Network of the Year[4]
Other
Ogilvy received the Cannes Lions Global Network of the Year recognition, reflecting performance across its international creative network.
- 1989
WPP acquired Ogilvy & Mather[2]
M&A
WPP acquired Ogilvy & Mather, making the agency part of its international marketing and communications network.
Sources4 sources
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