Ajaz Ahmed, founder of AKQA, unveils Studio.One, a new agency, following his departure from WPP.
Ajaz Ahmed, the former head honcho of WPP-owned advertising agency AKQA, is kickstarting a fresh marketing agency called Studio.One a mere six months after parting ways with the biz.
Ahmed let The Times know that Studio.One is gunning for established, lumbering, red-tape-ridden agencies that are laden with various layers.
As for deriving clients, Ahmed's keeping tight-lipped. But he made it clear that Studio.One will be churning out marketing campaigns and going toe-to-toe with bigwigs like AKQA itself.
Setting sail on May 1, Studio.One will boast investment and innovation divisions, including a lab dedicated to developing cutting-edge marketing technology.
The exact number of employees joining Studio.One's ranks is still under wraps, but Ahmed hinted that some of his pals from old AKQA days would jump on board.
"Every single day, it's either an existing AKQA employee or a former one hitting me up, hankering to be part of the next big thing," Ahmed shared.
No personnel department or time sheets are in the picture for Studio.One. Unlike WPP, it refuses to impose any kind of return-to-office mandate.
Private equity firm Atrum Capital is backing this venture.
By press time, Ahmed hadn't returned our calls for comment.
From AKQA to Studio.One
Ahmed was seated at the helm of AKQA for a whopping three decades. He founded the company back in 1994 at the ripe age of 21, with WPP snapping it up in 2012.
In 2020, AKQA merged with sister agency Grey to form the AKQA Group. Ahmed's high-profile departure in October 2024 was followed by 11 other senior departures, including managing partner Erik Rogstad. When they bailed, the agency had around 5,000 employees with clients like Coca-Cola and Netflix.
WPP, too, is grappling with its own difficulties, posting disappointing financial results, and taking another revenue hit in Q1 2025, down 5%.
WPP CEO Mark Read is betting on AI and WPP's media arm GroupM to help it get back on its feet.
Ahmed isn't convinced that AI alone is the way forward. "WPP went from being the top dog in the sector to now they're playing second fiddle... the underperformance is definitely speeding up," Ahmed shared with ADWEEK.
- Ajaz Ahmed, with three decades of experience at AKQA under his belt, is now the executive of a new marketing agency, Studio.One.
- Despite parting ways with AKQA six months ago, Ahmed plans to challenge established agencies and high-profile entities like AKQA itself.
- With investment from Atrum Capital, Studio.One will launch on May 1, featuring innovation divisions and a lab dedicated to developing marketing technology.
- Ahmed hinted that some of his former colleagues from AKQA may join Studio.One, as more and more individuals express interest in being part of his new entrepreneurial venture.
- Despite being an entrepreneur in the finance and business world, Ahmed remains skeptical about AI being the sole solution for reviving struggling companies, such as WPP, which has recently experienced financial underperformance.
