WPP announces creation of new agency Global Team Blue after unifying Team Detroit and Blue Hive
WPP has unified its global services model after merging Team Detroit, Blue Hive and Retail First under the new name of Global Team Blue (GTB).
The three agencies will now operate across six continents and 49 offices under the GTB name, which plays homage to Blue Hive's main client Ford, and will have its own brand identity, website and logo.
Team Detroit and Blue Hive’s current chief operating officer, Kim Brink, will move into the same position for the new agency.
Brink said that the changes were made in order to "clarify things for employees and potential clients”. She added that Ford, which is a key client of Blue Hive, is happy with the single name as it finds it less confusing.
Following the merger and new brand identity, Team Detroit’s chief creative officer, Toby Barlow, has become the GTB chief content officer. He said that the new identity would help provide more consistency for staffers by creating a clearer shared mission.
Discussing the new identity Barlow said that GTB’s new blue coloured logo was created with a sense of "humanity" and "approachability" in mind.
He added: “As you get more and more global, it's easier to get more and more corporate, and we recognize that we're in the business of connecting with people.”
Hudson Rouge, the agency dedicated to Ford's Lincoln brand, will retain its name.