WPP unveils HEX creative tech studio

The launch comes as businesses continue to face challenges in adopting AI technologies at scale

WPP has launched HEX, a creative technology studio designed to help brands develop and deploy AI-driven solutions through a combination of production, research and consultancy services.

The studio brings together around 50 creative technologists from disciplines including architecture, gaming, fine art and robotics. Operating within WPP Production’s content production and innovation teams, HEX focuses on generative and agentic AI, gaming, immersive experiences and robotics for clients across WPP’s global network.

Studio combines production, research and consulting

HEX functions as a creative production studio, research and development lab, and consultancy. The team works directly with clients to explore emerging technologies, develop applications and build internal AI capabilities.

The studio has already contributed to a range of projects. These include an activation for Unilever’s Dirt Is Good at SXSW 2025 that combined AI coaching with motion capture technology, the creation of AI-generated campaign assets and television advertising, and the development of a hardware prototype to reimagine Britain’s national rail clock.

Focus on addressing AI skills challenges

The launch comes as businesses continue to face challenges in adopting AI technologies at scale. WPP positions HEX as a response to the growing demand for talent capable of applying AI tools in practical business environments.

Rather than focusing solely on technology development, the studio emphasises training, experimentation and implementation. Teams from HEX are embedded with clients for extended periods to identify business challenges, develop solutions and train employees to work independently with AI-powered workflows.

Richard Glasson, CEO of WPP Production: "Creative technology sits at the intersection of imagination and craft. WPP Production has supported this extraordinary program from the very beginning because we believe deeply in constantly finding new ways to make the best work. That commitment is rooted in one of our core values: nurturing the next generation of talent and giving them unparalleled opportunities to create culture-shifting work through emerging technologies and the power of their own creativity."

Technology partnerships support development

HEX collaborates with technology companies including Adobe, Google and NVIDIA to test emerging technologies and evaluate their commercial applications.

Tom Payne, Senior Director of Customer Strategy and Success for EMEA and JAPAC at Adobe: "HEX Studio's ability to rapidly embrace emerging technologies and act as true agents of change makes them an exceptional fit for this collaboration. Our team at Adobe looks forward to harnessing that energy to accelerate AI adoption and deliver meaningful, scalable impact for our customers."

The studio's workforce is drawn from WPP's Creative Tech Apprenticeship programme, a nine-month paid initiative launched in 2022 to recruit and train talent from outside traditional advertising and engineering pathways.

Apprenticeship programme feeds talent pipeline

WPP aims to train at least 1,000 people through the programme by 2030. The curriculum focuses on creative problem-solving and adapting to emerging technologies, with participants working on real-world client projects.

Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, CDMO, L’Oréal SAPMENA Zone: "We believe the future of beauty is inseparable from the future of technology. Having partnered with WPP from the early stages of the program to help train the Creative Tech Apprentices, watching these emerging talents learn to navigate real client challenges and apply generative AI with both ambition and elegance as they deploy into HEX, has been genuinely inspiring. It reflects the kind of deep, forward-thinking partnership L'Oréal and WPP have built together."

Elav Horwitz, Chief Innovation Officer, WPP; Executive Sponsor of HEX: "The era of AI demands a fundamental shift in our creative mindset and how we approach problem-solving. This isn't just about closing a skills gap; it's about building the workforce for the new economy. By training the next generation of talent and embedding these forward-deployed experts with our clients, we're reshaping how we think, create and deliver truly innovative solutions for brands."

www.wpp.com

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