The Whitney Museum of American Art Selects Grey New York As Global Advertising Agency

The Whitney Museum of American Art today announced that Grey New York, the flagship office of Grey, has been selected as its global agency of record following a review.

Grey New York has been charged with developing the most comprehensive integrated campaign in the museum's history. The agency will handle global creative advertising and brand strategy, including television, print and out-of-home, as well as digital, social and activation marketing and media duties.

Grey's first work for the museum breaks this week with the launch of the 2014 Whitney Biennial. The museum's signature exhibition, this year's Biennial showcases the work of 103 participants, selected by three renowned curators, offering one of the broadest and most diverse takes on contemporary art in the United States that the Whitney has ever mounted. On view from March 7 th to May 25 th, it will be the last Biennial to take place in the museum's current home on Madison Ave. before the Whitney moves downtown.

This will be followed by marketing support for the launch of Jeff Koons : A Retrospective. The exhibition will be the most comprehensive ever devoted to the controversial, influential postwar artist and will be on view from June 27 th to October 19 th.

Importantly, Grey will develop a global campaign to generate broad awareness and enthusiasm leading up to and following the opening of the Whitney's new building in the Meatpacking District at the base of the High Line in spring 2015. The effort will highlight the Whitney's unique stature as the defining museum of modern and contemporary American art.

A new hashtag #AmericanArtIs has begun appearing on all marketing materials to put the museum at the center of American art dialogue.

"This is a transformational moment in the Whitney's history and we are delighted to partner with Grey," Jeff Levine, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of the Whitney, said. "Grey's creativity, the strong, clear tone of voice present in all of its work, strategic insights, integrated digital and social capabilities and global reach made Grey the ideal choice."

Grey will be recognized as the Whitney's "Exclusive Marketing Partner" during the duration of the campaign.

Michael Houston, Chief Executive Officer of Grey North America, said, "The Whitney is an international cultural treasure. As corporate citizens of New York for close to 100 years, and supporters of the arts, Grey is honored to introduce the new Whitney to the world and bring the world to the new Whitney."

About Grey

Grey New York is the flagship headquarters of Grey, the advertising network of Grey Group. Grey Group ranks among the largest global communications companies. Its parent company is WPP (WPPGY). Under the banner of "Grey Famously Effective Since 1917," the agency serves a blue-chip roster of many of the world's best known companies : Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, Darden Restaurants, Pfizer, Canon, 3M, NFL, Boehringer Ingelheim, Papa John's, Hasbro, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and T.J. Maxx. Grey was named ADWEEK's "Global Agency of the Year" and AD AGE's "Agency of the Year" in 2014 (www.grey.com)