WPP has launched HEX, a studio focused on AI-led creative technology within WPP Production.
HEX brings together about 50 creative technologists from fields including architecture, gaming, fine art and robotics. The studio will operate as a production house, research and development lab, and consultancy, with work spanning generative and agentic AI, gaming, immersive experiences and robotics.
The move adds a dedicated AI-focused team to WPP's production business as companies and agencies look for people who can apply new tools in commercial work. It is also meant to broaden the company's talent pipeline at a time when many businesses are struggling to turn AI experiments into day-to-day operations.
Industry data cited by WPP highlights that gap. Research from DataCamp found that 88% of leaders see data and AI literacy as fundamental as writing, yet fewer than half offer basic training. A Deloitte report found that only 25% of companies successfully move AI pilots into production without parallel investment in staff skills.
HEX has already worked on projects for WPP clients. These include combining AI coaching with real-time motion capture to record football movements and turn the data into personalised dirt patterns for Dirt Is Good; developing AI campaigns, AI assets and television adverts for brands; and helping redesign Britain's national rail clock through a hardware prototype.
The studio also runs AI workshops for senior executives, reflecting a broader shift in agency work beyond campaign development. HEX teams can be embedded with clients for months to assess problems, build bespoke systems and train internal teams to run AI workflows independently.
That model relies, in part, on ties with technology companies, including Adobe, Google and NVIDIA. The aim is to test new tools in live settings rather than keep development inside a central lab.
Talent pipeline
HEX staff are drawn from WPP's Creative Tech Apprenticeship, a nine-month paid programme established in 2022. The scheme recruits people from outside traditional advertising schools and engineering courses, with teaching focused on creative problem-solving and learning new technologies quickly.
WPP aims to train at least 1,000 people through the programme by 2030. The target underscores how the company views talent development as part of its response to the rising demand for practical AI skills across marketing, production, and client operations.
Richard Glasson, Chief Executive Officer of WPP Production, outlined the rationale for the new studio in a launch statement.
"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," Glasson said.
Partners also linked the studio to wider AI adoption efforts. "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," said Tom Payne, Senior Director of Customer Strategy and Success for EMEA and JAPAC at Adobe.
Client demand
Brands working with WPP are also involved in the talent effort. L'Oréal has been part of the apprenticeship programme since its early stages, helping trainees work through live business problems before some move into HEX.
Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, CDMO, L'Oréal SAPMENA Zone, said the programme gave clients a close view of how recruits apply new tools in practical settings.
"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," Bradshaw-Zanger said.
For WPP, the studio is also part of a broader effort to define what agency talent looks like as AI tools spread across creative and production work. Rather than focusing only on software access, the company is placing greater emphasis on people who can combine design, engineering and client advisory work.
"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," said Elav Horwitz, Chief Innovation Officer at WPP and Executive Sponsor of HEX.