Advertising Giant WPP Faces Criticism for Oil Industry Work

British advertising group WPP has helped oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP spend around $1.5bn on US advertising since the 2015 Paris Agreement, according to an analysis by DeSmog, a climate investigative platform.

The London-based firm has been the largest advertising group serving the US oil industry over the past decade, with a volume nearly double that of US rivals Omnicom and Interpublic Group. WPP agencies created around two-thirds of the ads for these companies, and WPP was the only major player to have worked with all four.

A US congressional investigation concluded in April 2024 that these companies used "deceptive and misleading" communications strategies to obstruct action on fossil fuel use. Current and former employees say WPP's services, ranging from ad creation and design to media buying and audience analysis, were central to maintaining the oil industry's public image.

Some employees have warned that this activity may conflict with the company's internal policy from 2022, which prohibits projects that undermine the goals of the Paris Agreement.

(guardian, bak)