J. Walter Thompson

J. Walter Thompson
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryMarketing communications
PredecessorCarlton & Smith
FoundedNew York City, U.S. (1864 (1864))
FounderWilliam James Carlton
FateMerged with Wunderman to form Wunderman Thompson
SuccessorWunderman Thompson
Headquarters
New York City
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
ParentWPP plc
Websitewww.wundermanthompson.com

J. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson.[1] The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merged J. Walter Thompson with fellow agency Wunderman to form Wunderman Thompson.[2][3][4] In October 2023, WPP announced yet another merger in which Wunderman Thompson, along with another group agency VMLY&R, would cease to exist and create a new combined entity named VML. This took effect on January 1, 2024.[5]

  1. ^ "Prominent Exit From Ad Industry Sets Off Questions About Future". The New York Times. April 22, 2018.
  2. ^ "Group history". WPP plc. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  3. ^ "Sir Martin Sorrell: advertising man who made the industry's biggest pitch". The Guardian. July 4, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  4. ^ "WPP is merging JWT with Wunderman". Ad Age. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  5. ^ "WPP announces merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R, launching VML". Insider Intelligence. Retrieved November 5, 2023.