Sustainability-focused creative agency AKQA closes down following company reorganization.
After a three-year run, AKQA Bloom, the sustainability-centric creative agency born in sunny Miami in 2022, has ceased to exist. The decision? A merge into AKQA Americas, confirmed by an agency spokesperson to ADWEEK.
Founded by Jean Zamprogno and Fernando Pellizzaro, AKQA Bloom aimed high, focusing on driving social change. But now, the Miami location carries on without the Bloom label. As for the co-founders, it's a waiting game - AKQA hasn't dished on their future roles. The silence speaks volumes, but the co-founders couldn't be reached for a comment either.
The glove slips with a global restructuring announcement in December, which pushed AKQA into a three-tier profit and loss framework: Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Roughly 6% of staff took a hit due to the reshuffle, a spokesperson shared with ADWEEK, but the company kept mum on whether AKQA Bloom's employees were affected.
AKQA, in a statement, claimed it's all about the future - adjusting to stay ahead of the game. However, they didn't comment on specific employment matters.
So, what about sustainability work? A spokesperson assured it'll keep churning out, with clients who'd previously worked with Bloom now in their crosshairs, and no plans to abandon their sustainability clients.
AKQA Bloom's exit boils down to a tough industry climate, where even major brands are dropping or diluting their sustainability and climate commitments, from Crocs and Coca-Cola, to Shell and Microsoft.
The parent company, WPP, has faced criticism for its engagements with oil and gas companies, fueling the climate crisis. Green activists filed a complaint against WPP with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, alleging ties with BP, Saudi Aramco, and Shell.
Duncan Meisel, executive director of activist campaign Clean Creatives, summed it up nicely, "It's a hard sell for a sustainability agency to thrive in a holding company that's soaked in fossil fuels. Clean clients aren't exactly lining up to work with agencies elbow-deep in polluters like BP and Aramco. With this closure, WPP is swapping future-focused industries like regenerative agriculture and clean energy for dying sectors entangled in oil and gas."
This shutdown and the integration of AKQA Bloom into the broader AKQA framework set the stage for new global leaders, signaling a more unified approach rather than separate boutique ventures, at least when it comes to sustainability efforts.
- The closure of AKQA Bloom might signify a shift in positions for its co-founders, Jean Zamprogno and Fernando Pellizzaro, as AKQA hasn't disclosed their future roles within the company.
- Despite the glove slipping with the global restructuring announcement that pushed AKQA into a three-tier profit and loss framework, the company's sustainability work is set to continue, with a focus on attracting clients who previously worked with Bloom.
- The climate crisis and the controversy surrounding WPP's engagements with oil and gas companies, including BP, Saudi Aramco, and Shell, might have contributed to the challenging environment that led to the closure of AKQA Bloom, supported by Duncan Meisel's statement about the difficulty of a sustainability agency thriving in a holding company soaked in fossil fuels.
