Why WPP killed GroupM: WPP Media’s AI push targets ad dominance

Back in 2003, Sir Martin Sorrell, a titan of advertising, launched GroupM with a clear goal: combine the budgets of WPP’s media agencies, Mindshare, MediaCom, and later Wavemaker and Essence, to negotiate rock-bottom prices for TV and print ads. Size was their secret weapon, and they used it masterfully.

Fast forward to May 28, 2025, and WPP drops a bombshell: GroupM is gone. In its place rises WPP Media, a name that screams reinvention. This isn’t just a fresh coat of paint—it’s a gut renovation for an industry where the old playbook’s been shredded.