Verizon has named Ogilvy creative agency of record for its consumer business.
The move follows Verizon’s December 2022 decision to award Ogilvy AOR duties for its Verizon Business unit. Ogilvy had begun working on consumer projects including Verizon’s new consumer brand platform “It’s Your Verizon” and the recently launched NFL Sunday Ticket campaign.
Diego Scotti, who left the brand earlier this year after almost nine years, had awarded McCann the business in 2015. Verizon is still searching for its next CMO.
“Ogilvy has proven to be a highly strategic creative partner. Since last year, we’ve been working in close partnership with the Ogilvy team to evolve our creative approach, leveraging powerful insights to illustrate our focus on providing value for our customers,” said Kristin McHugh, svp of marketing and creative at Verizon, in a statement.
Ogilvy won the consumer business without undergoing a formal review, according to a source familiar with the process.
It’s the latest in a strong winning streak for Ogilvy that began with the WPP agency’s participation in the Coca-Cola pitch in 2021 and continued with winning brands Audi, SC Johnson, H&R Block and Jameson.
Verizon’s roster includes a variety of agencies spanning WPP, Publicis, IPG and independents. Ogilvy began taking on projects for the brand last year before formally winning AOR duties on the business side. Verizon, according to the source, encourages many agencies on its roster to pitch campaign ideas. Ogilvy’s ideas consistently rose above the rest, and its work on the b-to-b business complemented what Verizon marketing executives hope to accomplish on the consumer side. That is, reframe Verizon’s brand for consumers who want more control over their phone plans.
The latest work reflects that goal. The “It’s Your Verizon” campaign puts a customer at the center of the spot. Verizon, according to the source, wants to creatively communicate that it puts the customer at the center of everything.
“I kinda just want things the way I want them,” one character says in the aptly named spot. Verizon’s My Plan offering gives consumers options—they can add on services like Travel Pass, Apple One or a Disney Bundle—with this kind of customization being a relatively new shift to the telecom’s strategy.
