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Intangible assets (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Disclosure Of Intangible Assets And Goodwill [Abstract] |
Summary of Movements of Goodwill | The movements in 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
| £m
Cost |
1 January 2023 | 12,144 |
Additions 1 | 319 |
Disposals | — |
Exchange adjustments | (484) |
31 December 2023 | 11,979 |
Additions 1 | 27 |
Disposals | (466) |
Exchange adjustments | (146) |
31 December 2024 | 11,394 |
Accumulated impairment losses |
1 January 2023 | 3,691 |
Impairment losses for the year | 63 |
Exchange adjustments | (164) |
31 December 2023 | 3,590 |
Impairment losses for the year | 237 |
Exchange adjustments | (43) |
31 December 2024 | 3,784 |
Net book value |
31 December 2024 | 7,610 |
31 December 2023 | 8,389 |
1 January 2023 | 8,453 |
Note 1 Additions represent goodwill arising on the acquisition of subsidiary undertakings including the effect of any revisions to fair value adjustments that had been determined provisionally at the immediately preceding balance sheet date, as permitted by IFRS 3 Business Combinations. The effect of such revisions was not material in either year presented.
Summary of Movements of Other Intangible Assets | The movements in 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
| Brands with an indefinite useful life |  | Acquired intangibles |  | Internally generated intangibles and other 2 |  | Total
| £m |  | £m |  | £m |  | £m
Cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |
1 January 2023 | 1,166 |  |  | 1,073 |  |  | 281 |  |  | 2,520 |
Additions | — |  |  | — |  |  | 40 |  |  | 40 |
Disposals and derecognition | — |  |  | (15) |  |  | (52) |  |  | (67) |
Reclassifications | (665) |  |  | 665 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Acquisitions | — |  |  | 138 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 141 |
Other movements 1 | — |  |  | — |  |  | 17 |  |  | 17 |
Exchange adjustments | (29) |  |  | (47) |  |  | (9) |  |  | (85) |
31 December 2023 | 472 |  |  | 1,814 |  |  | 280 |  |  | 2,566 |
Additions | — |  |  | — |  |  | 47 |  |  | 47 |
Disposals and derecognition | (2) |  |  | (820) |  |  | (38) |  |  | (860) |
Acquisitions | — |  |  | 17 |  |  | — |  |  | 17 |
Other movements 1 | — |  |  | 14 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 20 |
Exchange adjustments | (1) |  |  | (12) |  |  | — |  |  | (13) |
31 December 2024 | 469 |  |  | 1,013 |  |  | 295 |  |  | 1,777 |
Amortisation and impairment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
1 January 2023 | 63 |  |  | 784 |  |  | 221 |  |  | 1,068 |
Charge for the year | — |  |  | 728 |  |  | 25 |  |  | 753 |
Other movements 1 | — |  |  | — |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |
Disposals and derecognition | — |  |  | (15) |  |  | (52) |  |  | (67) |
Exchange adjustments | (3) |  |  | (27) |  |  | (7) |  |  | (37) |
31 December 2023 | 60 |  |  | 1,470 |  |  | 186 |  |  | 1,716 |
Charge for the year | — |  |  | 93 |  |  | 32 |  |  | 125 |
Other movements 1 | — |  |  | — |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |
Disposals and derecognition | — |  |  | (759) |  |  | (37) |  |  | (796) |
Exchange adjustments | — |  |  | (7) |  |  | 1 |  |  | (6) |
31 December 2024 | 60 |  |  | 797 |  |  | 183 |  |  | 1,040 |
Net book value |  |  |  |  |  |  |
31 December 2024 | 409 |  |  | 216 |  |  | 112 |  |  | 737 |
31 December 2023 | 412 |  |  | 344 |  |  | 94 |  |  | 850 |
1 January 2023 | 1,103 |  |  | 289 |  |  | 60 |  |  | 1,452 |
Notes 1 Other movements in acquired intangibles include revisions to fair value adjustments that are not material arising on the acquisition of subsidiary undertakings that had been determined provisionally at the immediately preceding balance sheet date, as permitted by IFRS 3 Business Combinations. 2 Other intangible assets are primarily comprised of purchased software. In 2023, this included reclassifications of items previously recorded in trade and other receivables.
Summary of Cash-generating Units with Significant Goodwill | CGUs with significant goodwill and brands with an indefinite useful life at 31 December are:
| Goodwill 1 | Brands with an indefinite useful life
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023
| £m | £m | £m | £m
GroupM | 3,200 | 3,255 | — |  | — |
VML 2 | 1,905 |  | — |  | — |  | — |
Wunderman Thompson 2 | — |  | 1,165 | — |  | — |
VMLY&R 2 | — |  | 815 |  | — |  | — |
Ogilvy | 795 | 809 | 212 |  | 213 |
BCW 3 | — |  | 619 |  | — |  | 113 |
Burson 3 | 746 | — |  | 111 |  | — |
Hill & Knowlton 3 | — |  | 142 |  | 33 |  | 33 |
AKQA Group | 435 | 600 | — |  | — |
FGS Global | — |  | 452 |  | — |  | — |
Landor | 89 | 115 | 53 |  | 53 |
Other | 440 |  | 417 |  | — |  | — |
| 7,610 | 8,389 | 409 |  | 412 |
Notes 1 Certain operations have been realigned between the various networks. These realignments have been reflected in the CGUs being tested. The most significant realignments are detailed below. 2 Following the announcement to merge VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson in the fourth quarter 2023, goodwill for these businesses has been combined within the VML CGU effective 1 January 2024, when the merger formally completed. At 31 December 2023, VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson were separate CGUs with goodwill of £815 million and £1,165 million respectively. 3Following the decision to merge BCW and Hill & Knowlton in the fourth quarter 2023, goodwill for these businesses has been combined within the Burson CGU, effective 1 July 2024, when the merger formally completed. Indefinite lived brands associated with Hill & Knowlton and Burson continue to be identified in separate CGUs for 2024. In 2023, goodwill of £619 million and indefinite lived brands of £113 million were recognised for BCW and goodwill of £142 million and indefinite lived brands of £33 million were recognised for Hill & Knowlton.

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