French multinational plots 212,000 sq ft White City HQ

Advertising and PR group Publicis Media has unveiled plans for a new HQ in London’s White City district.

The French multinational will relocate its six media agency brands and supporting practices, including over 2,000 employees, to the former BBC TV centre.

Publicis will occupy 212,000 sq ft across seven floors of the new office building 2 Television Centre.

Each of the company’s agencies – Starcom, Zenith, Digitas, Spark Foundry, Blue 449 and Performics – will operate on separate floors.

Publicis Media UK CEO Sue Frogley said: “We will become a beacon for best practice in our sector as this location will allow us to nurture the most fertile and dynamic media agency environment.

“The space will provide our people and our clients with the expertise and agility that such a proposition provides by bringing together the brand and practice model in one location.”

She added: “We have considered this move long and hard and really believe that in these transformational times we need to make transformational decisions.”

Stanhope plc is one of the companies behind Television Centre, along with Japanese real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan and Canadian fund manager AIMCo.

Stanhope chief exec David Camp commented: “We are delighted to welcome Publicis Media to Television Centre alongside the arrival of Soho House and iconic restaurant Bluebird and the broadcast of ITV Daytime shows and other flagship BBC programmes from the studios again.

“Together with the owners Mitsui and AIMCo, Stanhope has transformed Television Centre into a new media hub as part of a wider regeneration and transformation of White City which includes a new business district for tech, creative and life sciences companies at White City Place.”

The BBC still has a presence at the development with three working studios on site alongside ITV Studios, which broadcasts its Daytime programming block from Television Centre.

Property services firm CBRE acted for Publicis. Knight Frank and Cushman & Wakefield represented Stanhope.

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