WundermanWunderman was a New York City-based global digital agency. It was part of Young & Rubicam Brands and a member of international advertising group WPP Group (NYSE: WPP). On November 26, 2018, WPP announced it was merging Wunderman with ad agency J. Walter Thompson to form Wunderman Thompson, and the merger was formalized in February 2019.
VML (agency)VML is an international marketing and communications company specializing in brand experience, commerce and technology, and customer experience. VML was formed from the merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R. It is a subsidiary of WPP plc, a multinational advertising and public relations holding company. VML employs more than 30,000 employees in 64 markets worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, and London.
James Walter ThompsonJames Walter Thompson (October 28, 1847 – October 16, 1928) was the founder of the J. Walter Thompsonadvertising agency and a pioneer of many advertising techniques. BiographyHe was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on October 28, 1847. In 1864, William James Carlton started selling advertising space in religious magazines. The agency was called Carlton and Smith, although almost nothing is known about the Smith partner. In 1868, Carlton hired Thompson as a bookkeeper.
Lester WundermanLester Wunderman (June 22, 1920 – January 9, 2019) was an American advertising executive widely considered the creator of modern-day direct marketing. His innovations included the magazine subscription card, the toll-free 1-800 number, loyalty rewards programs, and many more. He identified, named, and defined the term "direct marketing" in a 1967 speech at MIT, and was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 1998.J. Walter ThompsonJ. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson. The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merged J. Walter Thompson with fellow agency Wunderman to form Wunderman Thompson. In October 2023, WPP announced another merger, combining Wunderman Thompson with another group agency VMLY&R, to create the new entity VML.
Direct marketingDirect marketing is a form of communicating an offer, where organizations communicate directly to a pre-selected customer and supply a method for a direct response. Among practitioners, it is also known as direct response marketing. In contrast to direct marketing, advertising is more of a mass-message nature. Response channels include toll-free telephone numbers, reply cards, reply forms to be sent in an envelope, websites, and email addresses.
RexonaRexona is an Australian deodorant and antiperspirant brand owned by the British consumer goods company Unilever. While marketed under the Rexona name in most countries, it is known as Rexena (Japanese: レセナ; Korean: 레세나) in Japan and South Korea, Sure in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India, and Degree in the United States and Canada. The Rexona aerosol spray deodorant range are manufactured in Australia.VMLY&RVMLY&R was an American marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the 2018 merger of VML, founded in 1992, and Y&R (Young & Rubicam), founded in 1923. It was a subsidiary of WPP plc, a multinational advertising and public relations holding company.Marketing communicationsMarketing communications (also known MC, marcom(s), marcomm(s) or just simply communications) refers to the combined use of different marketing channels and tools. Marketing communication channels focus on how businesses communicate a message to their desired market, or the greater market in general. It can also include the internal communications of the organization.
New York CityNew York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—each being coextensive with its respective county.
New York Stock ExchangeThe New York Stock Exchange (NYSEnicknamed "the Big Board") is an American stock exchange headquartered at the New York Stock Exchange Building in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, exceeding in January 2026. The NYSE is owned by Intercontinental Exchange, an American holding company that it also lists (ticker symbol ICE).
Cannes LionsThe Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is an annual festival held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, focused on creativity, effectiveness, and innovation in the advertising, marketing, and communications industries. Cannes Lions are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in advertising, and are often referred to as the Oscars of the advertising industry.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.