Ford of Europe marketing business folded into new WPP unit

Ford of Europe’s marketing business is to be consolidated into a new WPP Group unit called Blue Hive.

Ford Ka
Ford Ka

Blue Hive will be media and channel agnostic and is a joint venture between the London WPP agencies Wunderman, Ogilvy Advertising and Mindshare.

It will handle all aspects of Ford of Europe’s marketing, including above-the-line, digital, DM, CRM and media planning and will be based in London’s Docklands.

Tony Grigg, Ogilvy head of Ford in Europe, will be CEO, reporting to the individual operating companies’ senior management and WPP global lead executive on Ford, George Rogers.

Greg Burke, formerly creative partner on Ford for Ogilvy Advertising, will lead Blue Hive’s integrated creative team.

Tony Grigg says: “We are very excited about Blue Hive. As Ford moves towards rolling out models such as the new global Focus, this way of working makes good sense.

“Although new in the UK, it’s not entirely without precedent. We are following the model of Team Detroit in the USA, in which JWT, Y&R, Ogilvy, Mindshare and Wunderman have been working together seamlessly and very successfully for a number of years to provide Ford with all its brand communications services.”

The Ford of Britain account will continue to be run as before.