Best Brand Design Agency

Ranked #5 of 14 for best brand design agency

Wolff Olins review

A brand consultancy founded in London in 1965 and owned by Omnicom, behind the London 2012 Olympic symbol, the renaming of The Met and Uber's brand since 2017 1 2 3 4 5.

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Verdict

7.8/10

Pick Wolff Olins if you lead a large organisation at a turning point, such as an IPO, a new venture or category disruption, and want strategy, naming, identity, culture and launch from one team whose record runs from London 2012 to Uber 6 3 5.

Best for Rebrands at business turning points

Skip it if you need a published price or minimum budget before first contact 7, or you want an independent studio that makes everything in house: Wolff Olins is part of Omnicom Group 2, and its Decathlon case study credits outside firms for the website, sonic identity and typeface 8.

Visit Wolff Olins (opens the Wolff Olins website)

Wolff Olins at a glance
Founded1965 in London; Michael Wolff, Wally Olins and Jane Scruton led it in the 1960s 91
OwnershipPart of Omnicom Group 10; the UK company, Wolff Olins Limited (01945130), is 75% or more owned by DAS UK Investments Limited 112
OfficesLondon (Bankside 3, Southwark), New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles7
Chief executiveSairah Ashman, Global CEO 1012
ServicesBrand (research, strategy, architecture, verbal and visual identity, rollout), culture and employer brand, and experience design12
Published work22 case studies on the Work page, plus an archive of selected clients from 60 years 1314
D&AD awardsYellow Pencil for Instacart (2023) 15; two Wood Pencils for the New York Botanical Garden (2024)16
Published minimum budgetNot published; new business starts by email to a named contact for London or the US offices7

How Wolff Olins scores

Score breakdown for Wolff Olins
Body of work 30%9.0The 22 published case studies include Uber since 2017, where Wolff Olins reports a 51% rise in brand value ahead of the IPO 5, TikTok since the app was 18 months old 17, the renaming and identity of The Met 4, Lloyds 18 and Decathlon, where 85 brands became one 8. The client archive adds Tate, (RED) and the London 2012 Olympics 13, whose symbol the agency designed 3. Results figures in the case studies are the agency's own.
Recognition 20%7.0D&AD lists a Yellow Pencil for Instacart in 2023 15, two Wood Pencils for the New York Botanical Garden in 2024 16 and a Wood Pencil in 2025 for Anno 117, where Wolff Olins was design agency on a Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam entry 19. Its two D&AD profiles rank it 19th among design agencies in 2023, 31st in 2024 and 58th in 2025, and list no 2026 rank 20 21. Points off against peers placed in D&AD's 2026 ranking.
Strategy depth 15%9.0The brand practice covers qual and quant research, purpose and brand strategy, brand architecture, and verbal identity from the name to tone of voice and messaging, and the team includes a Verbal Director 12. Case studies show it: Wolff Olins renamed the Metropolitan Museum of Art as The Met 4 and built Uber's brand architecture, employee value proposition and culture work 5. For Kenvue it began from a name that was already set 22.
Access and fit 15%6.0No prices or minimum budget are published, and new business goes by email to a named lead: Bianca Bensemann for London and Rachel Lewis for New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles 7. The agency says it works with leaders at turning points such as a new venture, category disruption or an IPO 6. The Work page claims clients from global icons to start-ups 14; most published cases are large companies and institutions such as Lloyds, GSK and McKinsey 14, with Blank Street, which opened its first coffee cart in 2020, and the youth activist movement Bite Back as smaller clients 23 24.
Range of delivery 10%8.0Visual identity covers logo, type, imagery, motion, sound and haptics, and the brand practice includes launch planning and governance 12. Case studies for Uber, GSK and Kenvue list physical environments and digital experience among the deliverables 5 25 22. Some craft comes from partners: Decathlon credits Grilli Type for the typeface, Work & Co for the website and Father for sonic 8. Of the 22 case studies, only Benefit and Hyundai Card mention packaging 26 27.
Transparency 10%6.5The About page names 53 staff with job titles, including the CEO and both new-business leads 12. Case studies list deliverables and outcome figures, such as 7 million visitors to The Met 4, and the privacy notice gives the UK company number and the Omnicom link 2. No prices, timelines or step-by-step process are published 7.

Strengths and weak spots

Strengths

  • One team covers research, strategy, naming and verbal identity, visual identity, culture and launch 12; the Uber engagement ran from brand architecture to employer brand and physical environments 5.
  • Six decades of landmark identities, from the London 2012 Olympic symbol 3 to The Met 4, TikTok 17 and Lloyds 18.
  • Long client relationships: Uber since 2017 5 and TikTok since it was 18 months old 17.
  • A D&AD Yellow Pencil for the Instacart identity in 2023 15.
  • Named new-business contacts for London and the US offices, so a first email reaches a person 7.

Weak spots

  • No published prices, minimum budget or timelines 7.
  • Group-owned: Wolff Olins is part of Omnicom Group 2, and its UK company is controlled by DAS UK Investments Limited 11.
  • D&AD ranked it 19th among design agencies in 2023 and 58th in 2025, and its profiles list no 2026 rank 20 21.
  • Some craft is bought in: Decathlon's website, sonic identity and typeface are credited to Work & Co, Father and Grilli Type 8.

Alternatives to Wolff Olins

Head to head

Wolff Olins: common questions

How much does Wolff Olins charge?

Wolff Olins publishes no prices, day rates or minimum budget 7. New projects start by email: [email protected] for London, and separate New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles addresses handled by Rachel Lewis 7.

Who owns Wolff Olins?

Omnicom Group. Omnicom lists Wolff Olins CEO Sairah Ashman under its Omnicom Branding unit 10, and the Wolff Olins privacy notice says it shares data with other Omnicom Group companies 2. UK records show Wolff Olins Limited (company 01945130) 28 is 75% or more owned by DAS UK Investments Limited 11.

What is Wolff Olins known for?

The London 2012 Olympic symbol 3, the renaming and identity of The Met 4, and brand work for Uber since 2017 5 and for TikTok since it was 18 months old 17. Its Work page also shows Lloyds, Decathlon and Blank Street 14.

Sources

  1. Wolff Olins. Wolff Olins listed number 15 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work 2024. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  2. Wolff Olins. Privacy Notice. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  3. Wolff Olins. Unafraid to flip the script (Bovis, London 2012, GE). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  4. Wolff Olins. The Met: bringing art to everyone (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  5. Wolff Olins. Uber: from app to mobility company (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  6. Wolff Olins. The Wolff Olins way: creating transformative brands that move the world forward. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  7. Wolff Olins. Contact (offices and new business). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  8. Wolff Olins. Decathlon (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  9. Wolff Olins. Dear 1965, thanks for the blueprint. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  10. Omnicom Group. Omnicom Branding (capability page and leadership). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  11. Companies House (UK). WOLFF OLINS LIMITED (01945130) persons with significant control. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  12. Wolff Olins. What we do (services and team). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  13. Wolff Olins. Archive (selected clients). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  14. Wolff Olins. Work (published case studies). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  15. D&AD. Instacart (D&AD Awards archive). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  16. D&AD. New York Botanical Garden (D&AD Awards archive). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  17. Wolff Olins. TikTok (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  18. Wolff Olins. Lloyds: a next step forward (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  19. D&AD. Anno 117: Pax Romana (D&AD Awards archive). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  20. D&AD. Wolff Olins: D&AD company profile and rankings. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  21. D&AD. Wolff Olins (United Kingdom): D&AD company profile and rankings. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  22. Wolff Olins. Kenvue: creating a new home for iconic brands (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  23. Wolff Olins. Blank Street (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  24. Wolff Olins. Bite Back (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  25. Wolff Olins. GSK (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  26. Wolff Olins. Benefit Cosmetics (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  27. Wolff Olins. Hyundai Card: staying ahead of Seoul (case study). Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  28. Companies House (UK). WOLFF OLINS LIMITED (01945130) company overview. Checked 9 Nov 2026.