Ad giants slammed! Activists declare WPP and Publicis "Climate Criminals" in anti-fossil fuel protests!

Two of the biggest advertising agencies in the world — WPP London and Publicis Groupe NYC — faced heavy backlash from climate activists for their involvement with fossil fuel companies on July 25, 2025.

Publicis Groupe became the largest advertising group globally in 2024 with €13.965 billion in net revenue, slightly surpassing WPP, which reported a revenue of €13.33 billion. Both remain among the top global advertising companies, alongside others like Omnicom and Dentsu.

The London headquarters of the WPP group was occupied by climate activists from ‘Cut The Ties to Fossil Fuels’. The protesters dropped a 15-meter banner from the Thames river embankment stating “WPP are Climate Criminals, Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising”.

Instead of a ‘sit-in’, the activists staged a ‘die-in’ in front of the WPP headquarters, wrapped in funeral shrouds bearing logos of WPP’s "Big Oil" clients and Coca-Cola.

The Grim Reaper was also spotted on an oil rig at the site of the protest as part of a street theatre display orchestrated by the ‘Oil Slickers’ group. 

WPP holds at least 79 fossil fuel contracts with major polluters like Adani, BP, ConocoPhillips, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, TotalEnergies, SLB (Schlumberger), Shell (since 1929) and many more. 

These associations, activists argue, contradict WPP’s own sustainability policy, which is “not take on any client work, including lobbying designed to frustrate the objectives of the Paris Agreement”.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris. It was signed on December 12, 2015, to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

WPP has also been accused of providing greenwashing training to its employees to conduct 'green' campaigns that have won awards like the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards, aimed at celebrating the advertising industry's efforts in sustainability.

On the same day, Extinction Rebellion NYC, another group dedicated to climate activism, staged a protest outside Publicis Groupe's New York City headquarters. 

The protesters used street theatre and blockaded the building's entrance by chaining activists to the doors to send a message. 

Ten activists, including two minors, were arrested during the demonstration, which coincided with a severe heatwave in New York City. 

Publicis Groupe holds 40 contracts with fossil fuel companies, including Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies, despite its climate policy making no mention of fossil fuels.

Publicis Groupe's ‘Net Zero Climate Policy’ aims for “Net Zero” emissions by 2040 and a voluntary shift to 100% renewable energy by 2030.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned PR and advertising firms in his June 5 address at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, to mark World Environment Day.

He accused the firms of being “enablers to planetary destruction” and urged them to "Stop taking on new fossil fuel clients, from today, and set out plans to drop your existing ones". 

He also argues that governments should ban fossil fuel advertising just like they have banned advertising from the tobacco industry due to its harmful impact on the planet.