WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED is a private company limited by shares, registered in England and Wales under company number 00390845 and shown as active on the Companies House register. Its registered office is at Sea Containers, 18 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD. The company provides branding consultancy and design services, mainly to clients in the UK and Europe. Its audited accounts for 2025 name the brands it operates under as Landor, Coley Porter Bell, BDG and PSB UK. GCI Health was also one of its brands until 31 January 2025. The company also acts as an intermediate holding company. Its registered SIC code is 73110 (advertising agencies). The 2025 accounts treat all turnover as a single class of business: branding consultancy and design.
The company was incorporated on 2 November 1944 under the Companies Act 1929 as Young & Rubicam Limited. It has changed its name three times. It became Young & Rubicam Holdings Limited on 16 May 1969 and Young & Rubicam Group Limited on 15 October 1987. It took its present name, WPP Brands (UK) Limited, on 5 November 2018. Each date comes from the filed certificate of incorporation on change of name. The register’s previous-names table leaves out the first name, which the company used from 1944 to 1969.
WPP Brands (UK) Limited files full audited accounts under FRS 101. For the year ended 31 December 2025, approved on 9 September 2026, it reported company-level turnover of £51.3m, down from £98.4m in 2024. Profit before tax was £6.9m (2024: £11.6m) and profit for the year was £6.6m. The company does not prepare consolidated accounts, so all of these are company-level figures. Turnover fell by 47.9% because two operating divisions, BCW and GCI Health, were transferred out of the company in January 2025.
The 2025 result needs some context. Operating profit of £4.2m includes £10.5m of other operating income, and gross profit less administrative expenses was a loss of £6.2m. Profit before tax also includes £3.5m of interest receivable. Net assets rose from £230.0m to £232.4m, and no dividend was paid in 2025 or 2024.
The average number of staff fell from 656 in 2024 to 348 in 2025. Of the 2025 total, 264 worked in design. With effect from 1 August 2025, the company took over the businesses of three other companies, including Coley Porter Bell Limited. It also has one branch outside the UK, in Dubai (a DMCC branch). The accounts report no significant events after the year end.
Sources
- Companies House, company overview for 00390845: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845 (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, full accounts made up to 31 December 2025 (filed 29 September 2026): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/filing-history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, certificate of incorporation of 2 November 1944 and certificates of incorporation on change of name of 16 May 1969, 15 October 1987 and 5 November 2018, all in the same filing history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Company fundamentals
- Corporate linkage & group structures
- Digitized company financials
- Firmographics — websites, social profiles, revenue and employee estimates
Shareholders
1
Shareholders of WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED has one corporate immediate parent. Its issued share capital is 75,100 ordinary shares of £1 each. Note 22 of the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025, approved on 9 September 2026, names WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited (company number 03723506, England and Wales) as the immediate parent company. The People with Significant Control (PSC) register agrees. It records WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited as a registrable legal entity from 18 December 2025, holding 75% or more of the shares and voting rights and the right to appoint or remove directors. The register shows this as a band, not an exact percentage. The accounts describe the company as a wholly owned subsidiary of WPP plc.
Before that date, the registered PSC was WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited (company number 01536457). Its PSC entry was notified on 6 April 2016 and ceased on 18 December 2025.
The share capital grew from 25,100 to 75,100 shares on 27 March 2024. On that date, 50,000 new £1 ordinary shares were issued at £739.40 each to WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited. In exchange, the company received shares in VML(UK) Limited and Public Relations and International Sports Marketing Limited.
The provider shareholder table on this page needs two corrections. It shows WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited holding 25,100 shares. That share count is from before March 2024, and that company stopped being the registered PSC on 18 December 2025.
Ultimate beneficial ownership
The 2025 accounts name WPP plc, a company incorporated in Jersey, as the ultimate parent company and ultimate controlling party. No natural person is recorded as a beneficial owner of WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED. The PSC register lists only corporate entities, and none of the filings reviewed identifies an individual who controls the company through the ownership chain.
Data availability
Availability: full for the immediate holder. The share capital comes from the filed statement of capital and the accounts. The holder comes from the accounts’ parent-company note and the PSC register. UK PSC entries give ownership bands, not exact percentages. The levels between the immediate parent and WPP plc are not set out in the filings reviewed.
Sources
- Companies House, PSC register for 00390845: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/persons-with-significant-control (PSC02 and PSC07 filed 28 and 29 January 2026; retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, full accounts made up to 31 December 2025, notes 17 and 22 (filed 29 September 2026): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/filing-history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, SH01 statement of capital following allotment on 27 March 2024 (filed 28 March 2024), same filing history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
Data-provider feed — rows as supplied to Zavia for Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover. These rows are not a verbatim copy of the register: they have been found to duplicate the same person under different spellings and to keep a status of Active after an appointment ended. Where they disagree with the profile above, the profile is the checked version.
| Shareholder | Type | Holding | Source Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPP BRANDS HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED | 100% | Companies House |
Officers
5
Directors and officers of WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED
Companies House lists 41 officer appointments for WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED, of which 39 have ended. The two current appointments are both directors: Nicholas David Charles Bishop, appointed on 2 May 2024, and Thomas Charles Lightoller, appointed on 29 September 2025. The register records both as British nationals living in England. The company has had no secretary since 31 August 2026, when the only remaining secretary appointment, held since 14 August 1996, ended.
The 41 appointments include one person appointed as a director twice: from 5 September 2018 to 4 June 2021, and again from 6 March 2024 to 29 September 2025. The earliest appointments on the register are marked “appointed before 31 October 1992”. That is a cut-off date in the register’s records, not the actual date of appointment.
Recent officer changes
- 31 August 2026: the company secretary’s appointment ended (TM02, filed 1 September 2026).
- 29 September 2025: Thomas Charles Lightoller appointed as a director, on the same day that Tsvetan Kirilov Borisov’s directorship ended (AP01 and TM01, filed 30 September 2025).
- 17 September 2025: Ian Gary Paul’s directorship ended, after almost 18 years in post (TM01, filed 17 September 2025).
Data availability
Availability: full. Companies House publishes current and past appointments with dates, nationality, country of residence and month and year of birth. The provider officer cards on this page come from a sync of 6 October 2026. They hold 5 of the 40 records the provider reports. One of them still shows the company secretary as active, even though her appointment ended on 31 August 2026. The directors named in the accounts for 2025, approved on 9 September 2026, match the register. Those accounts disagree with the register on one point. Their officers page still lists the secretary, although the register records that appointment as ended on 31 August 2026, nine days before the accounts were approved.
Sources
- Companies House, officers of 00390845 (both pages): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/officers (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, filing history of 00390845 (AP01, TM01, TM02 filings): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/filing-history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, full accounts made up to 31 December 2025, directors’ report (filed 29 September 2026), same filing history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
Data-provider feed — rows as supplied to Zavia for Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover. These rows are not a verbatim copy of the register: they have been found to duplicate the same person under different spellings and to keep a status of Active after an appointment ended. Where they disagree with the profile above, the profile is the checked version.
Group Structure
Group structure of WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED is part of the WPP group. Its accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 name three parent companies. Its immediate parent is WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited. The smallest group that prepares consolidated accounts including it is headed by WPP Jubilee Limited. Its ultimate parent and controlling party is WPP plc, incorporated in Jersey. The accounts do not set out the companies between the immediate parent and WPP plc.
The company also holds investments of its own. At 31 December 2025 it held three direct subsidiaries: Ogilvy Health Limited (99.94%), VML(UK) Limited (100%) and Public Relations and International Sports Marketing Limited (100%). The last of these was dissolved on 14 April 2026. It also held a 48.12% stake in Burson Group Limited, which the accounts treat as an associate, and a 50% joint venture, CHI Wunderman UK Limited. The accounts list two indirect holdings: VMLY&R Health Limited (99.9%) and CCG Creative Communications Limited of Dublin (32%). The company also has a branch in Dubai, which is part of the same legal entity and not a separate company.
Verified corporate relationships
| Entity | Country | Registration number | Relationship | Ownership | Status | Information date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited | GB | 03723506 | Immediate parent | 75% or more (PSC band) | Current from 18 Dec 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 accounts; PSC register |
| WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited | GB | 01536457 | Former registered PSC | 75% or more (PSC band) | Historical, ended 18 Dec 2025 | PSC register |
| WPP Jubilee Limited | GB | 08286875 | Parent of the smallest consolidating group | Ownership percentage not disclosed | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| WPP plc | JE | Not stated in the accounts | Ultimate parent and controlling party | Ownership percentage not disclosed | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| Ogilvy Health Limited | GB | 02670980 | Direct subsidiary | 99.94% of ordinary shares | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| VML(UK) Limited | GB | 01660783 | Direct subsidiary | 100% of ordinary shares | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| Public Relations and International Sports Marketing Limited | GB | 03711418 | Direct subsidiary | 100% of ordinary shares | Dissolved 14 Apr 2026 | 31 Dec 2025 accounts; register |
| Burson Group Limited | GB | 03067210 | Associate | 48.12% of ordinary shares | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| CHI Wunderman UK Limited | GB | 09995004 | Joint venture | 50% | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| VMLY&R Health Limited | GB | 07653208 | Indirect holding | 99.9% | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
| CCG Creative Communications Limited | IE | Not stated in the accounts | Indirect holding | 32% | Current | 31 Dec 2025 accounts |
Recent structural changes
- 18 December 2025: WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited became the registered PSC and immediate parent, replacing WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited.
- 1 and 31 January 2025: the company transferred its BCW division (for £8.2m) and its GCI Health division (for £17.1m) to Burson Group Limited, at net asset value. In return it received 5,000,000 and 1,873,448 ordinary £1 shares in Burson Group Limited. The accounts record this as the company’s associate investment in Burson Group Limited, at a cost of £25.3m.
- 27 March 2024: the company acquired shares in VML(UK) Limited and Public Relations and International Sports Marketing Limited from WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited, in exchange for issuing 50,000 new shares of its own.
Data availability
Availability: partial. The parent companies and holdings above come from the company’s own audited accounts and its PSC register. The provider’s group tree on this page still places the company under WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited. It shows only one subsidiary, VML(UK) Limited, and none of the other holdings in the table. The upper levels of the tree, through Dutch and US companies, could not be checked against the filings reviewed. The website shown on the company card, wpp.com, is the group’s corporate website, not a site of this company’s own.
Sources
- Companies House, full accounts made up to 31 December 2025, notes 11 and 22 (filed 29 September 2026): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/filing-history (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, PSC register for 00390845: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00390845/persons-with-significant-control (retrieved 2026-10-15)
- Companies House, company records for 03723506, 01536457, 08286875, 02670980, 01660783, 03711418, 03067210, 09995004 and 07653208: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/ (retrieved 2026-10-15)
Data-provider feed — rows as supplied to Zavia for Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover. These rows are not a verbatim copy of the register: they have been found to duplicate the same person under different spellings and to keep a status of Active after an appointment ended. Where they disagree with the profile above, the profile is the checked version.
WPP PLC
United Kingdom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED do?
WPP Brands (UK) Limited provides branding consultancy and design services, mainly in the UK and Europe, under brand names including Landor, Coley Porter Bell, BDG and PSB UK. It also acts as an intermediate holding company.
Who owns WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED?
WPP Brands (UK) Limited has 75,100 issued ordinary shares of £1. Its immediate parent is WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited (03723506), which has been its registered PSC since 18 December 2025 and holds 75% or more of the shares and voting rights.
Who is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner)?
No natural person is registered as a beneficial owner. The PSC register lists only corporate entities, and the 2025 accounts name WPP plc, incorporated in Jersey, as the ultimate parent company and controlling party.
What is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's company registration number?
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's registration number is 00390845, filed with Companies House in United Kingdom. Its current status on the register is active.
Is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED still an active company?
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's status on Companies House is listed as active.
When was WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED incorporated?
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED was incorporated on 2 November 1944, according to Companies House.
What is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's registered address?
The registered address on file for WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED is London, United Kingdom.
What legal structure is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED registered as?
WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED is registered as a Private limited company (Ltd.) in United Kingdom.
What is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's revenue?
For the year ended 31 December 2025, WPP Brands (UK) Limited reported company-level turnover of £51.3m (2024: £98.4m) and profit before tax of £6.9m (2024: £11.6m). Turnover fell mainly because two divisions were transferred to another group company in January 2025.
Is WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED listed on a stock exchange?
WPP Brands (UK) Limited is a private limited company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
Who are the officers/directors of WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED?
Companies House lists two current directors, Nicholas David Charles Bishop (appointed 2 May 2024) and Thomas Charles Lightoller (appointed 29 September 2025). The company has had no secretary since 31 August 2026.
Does WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED have a parent company or subsidiaries?
WPP Brands (UK) Limited is part of the WPP group, with WPP plc (Jersey) as its ultimate parent. At 31 December 2025 it held Ogilvy Health Limited (99.94%) and VML(UK) Limited (100%) directly, a 48.12% associate stake in Burson Group Limited, and a 50% joint venture.
Can Zavia monitor changes to WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's ownership over time?
This profile reflects a point-in-time snapshot from Companies House. Zavia's monitoring API can track changes to WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's registered shareholders, officers, and group structure going forward, flagging updates as they're filed rather than requiring a manual recheck.
Can I access WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's data through an API?
Yes. Zavia's API connects directly to official government ownership registries across 195 countries and territories, including United Kingdom, so records like WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED's registration, shareholder, UBO, and group-structure data can be queried programmatically instead of viewed one page at a time.
Where does this company information come from, and how current is it?
This record is sourced directly from Companies House and was last synced on 6 October 2026.