CocaCola Publicis Partnership Signals Strategic Shift —and WPP’s Waning Grip

The US CocaCola Publicis partnership has many layers. One is a celebration. One is the promise of bold new market strategies. And one—perhaps the most quietly dramatic—is how WPP lost a behemoth after managing it for four years. 

Coca-Cola and Publicis are officially a thing now—at least in North America and Canada. And while everyone’s clapping for the new couple, there’s a twist that ad geeks like us can’t ignore: WPP just got ghosted after a four-year global relationship. Sure, agency shifts happen all the time. But when Coca-Cola makes a move, the ad world perks up faster than a soda can snap.

So, what’s brewing here? Spoiler alert: it’s not just fizz.

We’re about to serve you the stories, insights, and theories you didn’t know you needed. Let’s crack open what may be the most fascinating agency shake-up of the year. 

WPP’s shortcomings that might have caused CocaCola Publicis partnership

Brands hop from one agency to another all the time. But only those with a keen eye or deep roots in the marketing and advertising business can truly understand the impact of such a shift. Publicis Media has been hot lately, firing on all cylinders with innovation, AI integration, and the launch of new ad platforms.

So the real question is how Publicis won Coca-Cola’s North America and Canada accounts from WPP. 

Flashback to 2021: WPP wins a massive global Coca-Cola account after a year-long pitch battle. It’s a flex. Fast—forward to 2025, and poof. While WPP still holds the international account, a significant chunk of that prized partnership has now been handed over to Publicis. 

Why? Well, let’s rewind to that Coca-Cola Christmas ad.

The one with the AI-generated polar bears and cola truck tires that looked like a broken video game rendered them? Yep, that was WPP’s handiwork. We reported on it—and let’s say it wasn’t a great moment for the agency. The backlash came quick: critics slammed the spot for lacking emotional depth and relying on clunky, gimmicky AI. Unfortunately, that campaign was just one misstep in a growing list.

And that was just one of several fumbles.

The value of DEI—or rather, the conspicuous absence of it 

Here’s where it gets sticky. WPP did something bold in 2024: it scrubbed DEI from its annual report.

Yep. In 2023, it called itself a DEI champion. In 2024? Not a single mention. Just vague stuff about “people and culture.” Since Donald Trump returned for his second term, DEI has become a politically hot topic. Major corporations like Amazon, Meta, and Target quietly scrubbed the term from their websites and ad campaigns. But WPP? It went a step further.

Marketers everywhere ask: Why does an agency take such a bold, regressive step? We’re wondering, too. 

In place of DEI, WPP’s 2024 report swapped in vague language about “people and culture.”  

CEO Mark Read wrote that while the political climate had shifted, WPP’s aim was still “to foster a culture of respect for one another in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.” 

But the change in tone was crystal clear: DEI had been pushed off the page. 

For a brand like Coca-Cola, which is global, inclusive, and super invested in multicultural storytelling, this move probably hit the wrong note. Coca-Cola can’t afford to look like it’s regressing. And maybe WPP didn’t read the room.

Aligning with an agency that appears to be pulling back on that responsibility? That’s a risk. 

Meanwhile, Mark Read’s having a rough year

The WPP CEO has been a stalwart in the advertising industry since 1989, holding numerous leadership positions and earning a stack of accolades. In 2024, Read’s pay package was slashed by 15 percent, bringing it down to £3.8 million ($4.9 million). 

But recently, he’s been under fire. His four-day return-to-office mandate left WPP employees disgruntled, and the stock took a hit. Layoffs followed.  

It became even harder to manage after losing a massive piece of business to Publicis, a rival that’s been laser-focused on innovation, AI integration, and inclusivity across the board. 

Publicis Media is pulling its weight for inclusion

The year 2025 has become a hit for Publicis Media, and there is no doubt about it. In the first quarter of 2025, Publicis Media scaled and worked on innovation using AI, inclusivity, and creativity.  

While WPP was fumbling ads and making DEI vanish, Publicis was busy building CoreAI—its shiny, multi-layered AI platform, backed by €300 million and powered by names like OpenAI, Adobe, and Microsoft. This isn’t your average chatbot situation—it’s next-gen personalization meets creative firepower.

Oh, and they launched Women’s Sports Connect, a dedicated unit for women’s sports in collab with Disney Advertising. The initiative ran as a partnership with Disney Advertising, offering Publicis clients exclusive access to some of the biggest streaming and linear inventory available. That’s a big deal for brands to participate in women’s sports. With WSC, Publicis Media emerged as a partner that could provide its clients the first-mover advantage in a rapidly growing space. 

Not only smart, but also a signal that Publicis gets where culture and commerce are heading. However, it’s not all a fairy tale.

But…Where did DEI go at Publicis?

Okay, it’s not all rainbows. Publicis is also getting quiet on the DEI front.

Last year they were riding high, even scoring a 90 on the Disability Equality Index. But then, poof—they parted ways with their Chief Diversity Officer, Geraldine White. The silence since has been… awkward.

Nabbing a whopping $700 million business from a global powerhouse like WPP, Publicis Media has positioned itself as a rising leader in pitching and creative strategy, AI integration, strategic partnerships, and relentless innovation. Despite the momentum, Publicis hasn’t held firm on its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

The contrast from last year is hard to ignore. It sparked conversations about the future of DEI initiatives within the company and the broader industry. While Publicis is charging forward on technology and business fronts, its stance on DEI has grown quieter.

While Publicis is sprinting on tech and partnerships, some folks are wondering: is inclusivity still in the playbook?

Cut to the chase

What led to the US CocaCola Publicis partnership in the first place? Theories and facts help unpack the behind-the-scenes drama of this major partnership. 

This isn’t just an account shuffle—it’s a signal. About where the industry’s heading. About what global brands value. And maybe, just maybe, about what happens when you stop evolving. So, if you’re in the ad world? Watch this space. The CocaCola Publicis partnership might be the case study we all look back on—and WPP’s stumble, the cautionary tale.