EY launches global ‘Transformations’ marketing campaign
Big Four firm EY is looking to bounce back from a year to forget, with the launch of a new branding charm offensive. The “Transformation” campaign by famous marketing advisor Ogilvy UK, foregrounds the company’s ability to help clients “shape the future”, rather than “be shaped by it”.
Speaking on the campaign, Chris Spenceley, managing partner at Ogilvy UK, commented, “To tell the true transformational capability of EY, we created a device that represents their full spectrum of services as an entity of multi-colored, multi-faceted shapes that transform everything in their wake. They are a positive, aspirational force, that through the film inspires, supports and benefits humanity at every touch point, all to reinforce the new brand platform of ‘Shape the Future with Confidence’.”
The global integrated marketing campaign, “Transformations”, includes 60-second and 30-second television commercials, to run on the world’s largest business channels, including Bloomberg, Euronews, CNBC, CNN and Connected TV. Meanwhile, it also includes digital out of home content to be featured across top international business travel airports, and social media content will also be shown prominently across EY channels and online platforms through podcasts, video on demand, social videos and banners.
According to a release from the firms behind the content, as business leaders face a multitude of challenges – from geopolitics, technology and environmental concerns to internal issues like capital scarcity and talent shortages – Transformations points to EY’s ability to unlock value for its clients, by transforming their enterprises. By noting the full spectrum of EY services, skills and ecosystem partners, the content aims to address how EY can help companies rapidly adapt to change, before asking, "Will your business shape the future or be shaped by it?”
John Rudaizky, EY global chief brand and marketing officer, added, “Those who shape the future create it, and in the film ‘Transformations’ – part of the EY ‘Shape the Future with Confidence’ brand expansion – we demonstrate how innovation helps business leaders grow their organisations, even during global challenges. Traditional multiyear strategies and linear transformations are becoming outdated. Success now depends on human-centric leadership, balancing optimisation with reimagination, strategic ecosystems, and collaborative full-spectrum teams solving issues together.”
Transformations at EY
The move comes as EY looks to draw a line under a difficult 2024, and re-introduce itself to businesses and governments as a safe pair of hands. Despite shelving its controversial plans to split its audit and advisory wings in mid-2023, the Big Four firm still endured a difficult financial year, thanks in part to becoming mired in a conflict of interest scandal in Australia – where its member firm was cross-examined for allegedly supporting the oil and gas industry’s lobbying efforts while being paid by the federal government for independent advice on its signature climate policy and gas emissions. A slowdown in consulting work meanwhile saw it shed large numbers of roles in its UK and US wings.
But 2025 offers an opportunity for a fresh start – especially in the UK, where EY recently made waves by appointing the first woman to be CEO of a Big Four firm’s national member firm. As Anna Anthony gets to grips with the top job, among other changes heading for the firm as it repositions itself to accommodate for changing work demands, the Transformations campaign will also help to promote EY’s own organisational transformation.
