Ogilvy has unveiled ECHO, a consent-first artificial intelligence platform that enables brands to generate multiple advertising assets from a single celebrity production shoot while protecting talent ownership, intellectual property and creative control, according to information published on the agency’s website.

Developed under the leadership of Carol Reed, Global Chief Innovation Officer of The Ogilvy Group, ECHO combines Ogilvy’s creative capabilities with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)’s talent representation expertise and WPP’s technology infrastructure through WPP Open.

The platform addresses a growing advertising challenge: how brands can meet demand for fresh, real-time digital content without exposing celebrities and athletes to unauthorised use of their identities and digital likenesses.

Instead of commissioning repeated physical shoots, ECHO allows marketers to transform existing productions into multiple creative variations for different audiences, markets and digital platforms. Ogilvy estimates that a typical production yielding eight to 10 original assets could generate between 30 and 50 additional media-ready variations, potentially reducing average cost-per-asset by 65 to 75 per cent.

Beyond production efficiency, however, the platform’s defining feature is its consent and governance framework, designed to address deepfakes, identity misuse and concerns about the ethical use of generative AI in advertising.

Through its partnership with CAA, ECHO integrates with The CAA Vault, the agency’s digital infrastructure for capturing, storing and licensing talent likenesses, voices and intellectual property. Verified digital scans and machine-readable contractual provisions establish the conditions under which each personality’s digital representation can be used.

Crucially, every generated asset must receive approval from the relevant talent or authorised representative before publication. Automated compliance systems also assess materials against contractual restrictions and brand safety requirements, while a dedicated approval portal provides the final clearance mechanism.

Laurent Ezekiel, Global Chief Executive Officer of The Ogilvy Group, said the combination of Ogilvy’s creative expertise, CAA’s talent representation capabilities and WPP’s global infrastructure would help brands respond to cultural developments without sacrificing creative quality or trust.

Reed described ECHO as a convergence of advertising and entertainment, noting that the growing importance of name, image and likeness rights makes it essential for personalities to retain control over their digital identities.

She said consumers want technology to support creative talent rather than replace it, adding that consent, contractual safeguards and human oversight create a more responsible environment for AI-powered advertising.

To strengthen transparency, approved consumer-facing assets carry visible verification watermarks identifying the talent and confirming approval before AI recreation. The platform also relies on high-fidelity talent scans stored in The CAA Vault rather than unauthorised or publicly sourced representations.

The need for such safeguards is illustrated by actor and television personality Terry Crews, who has spoken about the proliferation of unauthorised AI-generated versions of himself online. He disclosed that people tag him in at least 10 different AI representations of his identity every day.

ECHO’s creative development is led by David Raichman, Executive Creative Director and Global AI Creative Lead for The Ogilvy Group, and Guillermo Vega, Chief Creative Officer for Ogilvy North America. Its integration with WPP Open and conventional post-production tools also allows creative teams to incorporate the technology into existing workflows.

Ogilvy’s case for consent-led AI advertising is supported by proprietary research involving more than 1,200 respondents across the United States, the United Kingdom and India. The study examined consumer perceptions of AI-generated advertising and the influence of explicit talent approval on trust and advertising appeal.

More than 80 per cent of respondents across the three markets recognised talent-approved messaging as evidence that a celebrity had authorised the use of AI in advertising.

The research also found that explicit approval improved advertising appeal among more than 76 per cent of respondents globally. It increased trust, credibility and reassurance among 62 per cent of respondents in India, 45 per cent in the UK and 43 per cent in the US.

Conversely, disclosing AI involvement without confirming the talent’s participation or approval made up to 44 per cent of consumers feel that human creative involvement had diminished. Identifying the personality and confirming consent helped restore the human connection audiences associate with advertising.

Commenting on the findings, Raichman said advertising trust depends on both the personality delivering the message and the strength of the creative idea. He explained that ECHO connects these elements by requiring talent approval while keeping creative thinking central to production.

Powered by WPP Open, the platform brings talent data infrastructure, governance and AI-powered creative production into one enterprise environment. Ogilvy said ECHO became commercially available across the WPP network in November 2026, offering brands a way to expand celebrity-led advertising while safeguarding the rights and identities of participating talent.