WPP’s back-to-office push: Is India’s adland ready for reset?

In a move that has reignited the ‘future of work’ debate, global advertising major WPP announced that starting April 2025, employees would be required to spend at least four days a week in the office. The decision sent ripples through the company, as well as the advertising industry at large, where flexible working hours have become a norn.

Opinions were divided on whether this back-to-office shift would help, or hinder, the sector's evolution in a post-pandemic world. Will in-office presence foster a deeper employee engagement, facilitating seamless collaboration, or will employees, accustomed to the flexibility of remote work, find the shift as regressive?

In a high-stakes industry where human creativity steals or kills the show, what impact will the move have on user engagement, on customer satisfaction, or even on financial performance of agencies?

As the advertising world watches the event closely, Campaign speaks to industry leaders and experts to dissect the merits and pitfalls of WPP’s decision, exploring what it means for the future of work in this dynamic sector in India.

Sumbul Khan, business lead – India, Virtue Worldwide:

With the launch of Office 365, it seemed magical that now people can work from anywhere. Then, with Google Docs and Drive, we could collaborate across locations—how positively fabulous it was to us!

We are a team of creative individuals who are based in different parts of India. Like many of our clients, we can adopt the remote working environment with processes and practices that help us keep things productive, positive, agile, and creative. There is a lot of flex required when we work in creative environments and we have ensured that we have that.

In a creative agency, however, the energy and vibe on the work floor also fosters and fires creative thinking, enabling interpersonal relationships that help the teams tango well. So, at Virtue Asia, working from the office is encouraged more to build on these aspects. We allocate one day a week for in-person meetups—to have our water cooler discussions, brainstorm, break bread, and occasionally break each other’s heads—in a friendly way, of course!

We also conduct all-hands meetings a couple of times in a year. We are more likely to work remotely and play at the office because the whole point of working in a creative agency is to have fun as a team.

Harish Bijoor, business and brand strategy expert and founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc:

Pre-COVID, literally all of us worked out of an office all days of the week. But then, in came the pandemic and to an extent spoilt the party. Work-from-home became the norm.

Over a period when remote working was a novelty, people enjoyed it both ways in terms of employees enjoying the freedom to work from anywhere and the agency in terms of saying that a better work-life balance meant creative juices would flow. However, with time, the client’s demands have grown.

Agencies today realise that work discipline has gone for a sixer. I guess, that is why, this is an attempt by WPP to get people back to office.

WPP will find its own level with this move. There will be a few who would want to work remotely. They will look for other jobs, which allow them to do this within the advertising and marketing segment. And then there would be others who would make compromises and say that we have had a nice, enjoyable, work-life balance so far. Now it is back to the grind.

Ranaq Sen, head of people, WorkIndia:

While remote work has proven viable for many industries, creativity thrives on collaboration, spontaneous discussions, and the organic exchange of ideas. The office environment fosters this synergy, providing opportunities for brainstorming sessions, impromptu problem-solving, and real-time feedback, which can be challenging to replicate in a virtual setting.

In-person collaboration allows teams to build a shared rhythm, where ideas evolve seamlessly, leading to impactful and innovative outcomes. Moreover, being in a shared workspace ensures that teams can align more effectively, minimising delays and miscommunications often caused by remote channels.

The energy and dynamic interactions within an office can boost morale and fuel innovative thinking, ultimately enhancing productivity in the creative industry. The office becomes not just a workplace, but a creative hub were energy and ideas flow naturally, inspiring everyone to perform at their best.

A structured return-to-office policy does not necessarily imply rigidity but rather a balanced approach to achieving organisational goals. Agencies emphasising in-office work recognise its potential to enhance teamwork, foster mentorship, and build a cohesive company culture. While some employees may initially resist, clear communication of the long-term benefits—such as career growth opportunities and enriched learning experiences—can help alleviate concerns.

Rajani Athreya, senior director-HR, insights division, South Asia, Kantar:

Working from the office indeed offers natural advantages. It helps employees to understand and imbibe the organisational culture. It encourages spontaneous interactions and brainstorming sessions, which can lead to more creative ideas, effective problem-solving, building relationships with the team members, and strengthening communication.

But whether working from the office inherently increases productivity versus remote working, is difficult to ascertain. It depends on various factors like the nature of work, organisational culture, and individual drivers. Plus, external factors like commute time play a critical role in determining productivity.

Post-COVID, work-from-home, or hybrid working have become an essential part of employee expectations. Hence, it is important to evaluate the impact of potential employee pushback, particularly if the return-to-office policies move from one extreme to another. This shift would then be perceived as rigid and can lead to potential disengagement potentially resulting in attrition.

That said, attrition is not just based on the employees’ work locations. It reflects how they associate themselves with their organisations and rely on various factors like team dynamics, relationship with their managers, recognition, rewards, etc. The amount of weightage that employees attache to one or more factors determines their decision to stay with the same company or move on.