Ogilvy Labs Innovation Unit Closed Down

Ogilvy's London-based R&D and innovation unit Ogilvy Labs has been closed as part of a cost-saving exercise.

Set up in 2008 by Nicole Yershon (pictured), Ogilvy Director of Innovative Solutions, self-funded Ogilvy Labs and previously served as a 'change agent' within Ogilvy Group UK, ensuring the business was innovating both inside the agency and for its clients. In addition to its London office, the division had operations in Africa, Paris, Australia and China, where the unit was later spun off into a brand innovation arm called OneKind.

In a tweet last night, Yershon explained that the UK unit has now been shut down, and she and her four Labs colleagues have been made redundant. Ogilvy & Mather UK CEO Annette King said in a statement: 'Ogilvy Labs pioneered the way we approached innovation and over its tenure helped us successfully embed innovative thinking and campaigns into each of our agencies and many of our award winning clients. Ogilvy Labs' job is now done as a separate Ogilvy entity, as each agency continues to innovate within their own specialist area and collaboratively across the Ogilvy Group.'

The unit was online at: www.ogilvylabs.co.uk .