XML 141 R83.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.1

Costs of services and general and administrative costs - Additional Information (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credits relating to the release of excess provisions and other balances |  |  | £ 26.9 | £ 25.6 |  | £ 40.9 |
Goodwill impairment |  |  | 47.7 | 183.9 | [1] | 27.1 | [1]
Investment write-downs |  |  | 7.5 | 2.0 |  | 91.7 |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  | 153.5 | 265.5 |  | 56.8 |
Gains on disposal of investments and subsidiaries |  |  | 40.4 | 237.9 |  | 98.7 |
Litigation settlement |  |  | £ 16.8 |  |  |  |
Lease Term |  |  | 15 years |  |  |  |
Gain on sale of freehold property in New York |  |  | £ 7.9 |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of freehold property |  |  | 159.0 |  |  |  |
Impairment charge on intangible assets |  |  | 26.5 | 89.1 |  | 6.0 |
Investor day in december two thousand and eighteen restructuring and transformation plan [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs | £ 212.3 |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs in relation to the continuing restructuring plan |  |  | 121.1 |  |  |  |
Transformation costs |  |  | 32.4 |  |  |  |
Costs arising from a structural assessment of operations [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  | £ 53.2 | 116.3 | 179.7 |  | 33.7 |
Transformation cost [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  | 37.2 | 85.8 |  |  |
IT services and infrastructure cost [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restructuring and transformation costs |  |  |  |  |  | 12.8 |
comScore Inc. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment write-downs |  |  |  |  |  | 53.1 |
Litigation settlement |  |  | 16.8 |  |  |  |
Globant S.A. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposal of investments and subsidiaries |  |  | 28.6 | 185.3 |  |  |
Asatsu-DK Inc. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposal of investments and subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  | 92.3 |
VMLY&R [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment |  |  |  | 148.0 |  |  |
Other business [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Information About Operating Cost [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment |  |  | £ 47.7 | £ 183.9 |  | £ 27.1 |
[1] | Prior year figures have been re-presented in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations, as described in the accounting policies.

X
- Definition The amount of costs relating to the distribution of goods and services. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 103 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_103&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 99 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_99&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DistributionCosts
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The gain on the disposal of investments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 98 -Subparagraph d -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_98_d&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GainsOnDisposalsOfInvestments
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The gain on settlements of litigation. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 98 -Subparagraph f -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_98_f&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GainsOnLitigationSettlements
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of impairment loss recognised in profit or loss for goodwill. [Refer: Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss; Goodwill] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 3 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph B67 -Subparagraph d -Clause v -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=3&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_B67_d_v&doctype=Appendix&subtype=B -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ImpairmentLossRecognisedInProfitOrLossGoodwill
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of impairment loss recognised in profit or loss for intangible assets other than goodwill. [Refer: Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss; Intangible assets other than goodwill] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 38 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 118 -Subparagraph e -Clause iv -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=38&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_118_e_iv&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ImpairmentLossRecognisedInProfitOrLossIntangibleAssetsOtherThanGoodwill
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of information about operating cost line items. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_DisclosureOfInformationAboutOperatingCostLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition FinanceLeaseAgreementTerm + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_Financeleaseagreementterm
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Gain on sale of freehold property. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_GainOnSaleOfFreeholdProperty
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Investment write downs. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_InvestmentWriteDowns
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Proceeds from sale of freehold property. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_ProceedsFromSaleOfFreeholdProperty
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Release of excess provisions and other balances related to acquisitions. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_ReleaseOfExcessProvisionsAndOtherBalancesRelatedToAcquisitions
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Restructuring and transformation costs. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_RestructuringAndTransformationCosts
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Restructuring and transformation costs in relation to the continuing restructuring plan. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | wpp_RestructuringAndTransformationCostsInRelationToTheContinuingRestructuringPlan
Namespace Prefix: | wpp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | wpp_RestructuringPlanAxis=wpp_InvestorDayInDecemberTwoThousandAndEighteenRestructuringAndTransformationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfProvisionsAxis=wpp_StructuralReassessmentOfOperationsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfProvisionsAxis=wpp_TransformationCostMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfProvisionsAxis=wpp_ItServicesAndInfrastructureCostMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=wpp_ComScoreIncMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=wpp_GlobantSAMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=wpp_AsatsuDKIncMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_IndividualAssetsOrCashgeneratingUnitsWithSignificantAmountOfGoodwillOrIntangibleAssetsWithIndefiniteUsefulLivesAxis=wpp_VMLYAndRMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfIntangibleAssetsAndGoodwillAxis=wpp_OtherBusinessMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |