WPP becomes first partner to pilot Meta’s AI creative tool inside WPP Open

LONDON: As advertising becomes increasingly powered by algorithms, data and artificial intelligence, creative teams are searching for ways to spend less time decoding performance reports and more time developing winning campaigns. That is the opportunity at the centre of an expanded partnership between WPP and Meta.

The advertising giant has been selected as the first launch partner to pilot Meta’s new AI-powered creative solution, which is currently being tested to help brands analyse campaign performance and generate recommendations for stronger creative outcomes. The tool will be integrated directly into WPP Open, WPP’s AI-driven marketing platform.

The move comes as marketers grapple with an increasingly crowded digital advertising landscape. According to Meta, ad impressions across its platforms rose 19 per cent globally during the first quarter of 2026, while more than 3.5 billion people now use at least one of its apps every day. For advertisers, understanding which creative assets resonate and why has become a critical competitive advantage.

Rather than relying on traditional post-campaign analysis, the new system is designed to provide real-time insights that can help teams refine creative strategy as campaigns unfold. The integration aims to transform performance data into actionable recommendations, enabling agencies to identify successful creative elements, generate fresh concepts and validate ideas through testing.

At the heart of the platform is a dedicated workspace where media and creative teams can collaborate using live campaign intelligence. The solution is also equipped with a “brand memory” capability that learns a company’s visual identity, tone and messaging from previous campaigns, helping maintain consistency while scaling creative production.

For WPP, the partnership represents another step in its broader push to embed artificial intelligence across agency workflows. By placing Meta’s creative intelligence tools inside WPP Open, the company hopes to reduce friction between media planning, creative development and campaign optimisation.

Consumer goods giant Unilever will become the first client to gain beta access to the platform. The company will also play a role in shaping the product as it develops, reflecting its long-standing investment in technology-led marketing and creator-driven brand building.

Commenting on the initiative, Unilever global VP, digital, social and AI transformation, beauty and wellbeing Selina Sykes said the future of advertising sits at the intersection of creativity and technology. She noted that early access would allow Unilever’s brands to move faster, make smarter creative decisions and strengthen consumer engagement across digital platforms.

Meanwhile, WPP chief innovation officer Elav Horwitz said the next evolution of creative effectiveness depends not only on understanding what worked, but also why it worked. He added that the integration would help agency teams convert performance insights into stronger ideas and measurable business outcomes more quickly.

From Meta’s perspective, the objective is to shorten the gap between campaign analysis and creative action. Meta director of global agencies Nick Baughan said creative teams should not have to wait for performance reports before understanding what resonates with audiences. Embedding those insights directly into agency workflows, he said, would allow teams to respond more rapidly to client needs.

The new solution is currently being tested by WPP, Meta and Unilever, with a broader rollout expected in the coming months. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the advertising industry, the partnership offers a glimpse into a future where campaign data, creative development and media strategy are increasingly connected, helping brands move from insight to execution at unprecedented speed.