Warc announces top 100 creative companies

'Palau Pledge' by Host/Havas Sydney, is the most creatively celebrated campaign of 2018. Image supplied.

The rankings feature the most awarded campaigns, agencies, networks, holding companies, brands, advertisers and countries, based on an analysis of the results of the most important global and regional creative awards shows in the world in 2018, as determined by the advertising industry.

'Palau Pledge' by Host/Havas Sydney, is the most creatively celebrated campaign of 2018. In order to tackle mass tourism, the Palau Legacy Project, a sustainable tourism body, created a visa policy for the island of Palau to protect the nation from environmental damage.

Seamus Higgins, executive creative director, Host/Havas Sydney, says: "I'm infinitely grateful to the incredible team, clients and country who made this happen."

Impressive performance by BBDO agencies

Ranked second is '#Bloodnormal' by AMV BBDO London for feminine hygiene brand Bodyform/Libresse. The campaign centred around an online video to break taboos by showing period blood in a positive light.

#NewCampaign: "Periods are normal, showing them should be too"

Jessica Tennant  25 Feb 2019

In third place, 'Project Revoice' by BWM Dentsu, Sydney, for The ALS Association, a non-profit organisation tackling motor neurone disease, developed innovative technology which enabled ALS patients to speak again.

BBDO agencies have had an impressive performance around the world with nine agencies ranked in the top 100, three of which are in the top 10. BBDO New York moves up from their second position last year in the Gunn Report, to be crowned best creative agency in the world. AMV BBDO London climb to second place having been ranked #20 last year and adam&eveDDB London follow closely in the third position up from fourth.

BBDO Worldwide heads the networks table for an impressive 13th consecutive year - 12 under Gunn Report and now under Warc Creative 100 - with 22 different offices contributing to their total. DDB Worldwide is in second place and McCann Worldgroup third.

David Lubars, chief creative officer, BBDO Worldwide, comments on their success: "What makes me most proud of topping the Warc Creative 100 is that it's not just one agency or campaign. It's multiple agencies delivering work for multiple clients across multiple forms and platforms."

Creativity can be a competitive advantage

No changes to the top half of the Holding Companies league table compared to last year as Omnicom takes pole position followed by WPP in second and Interpublic Group in third.

Global fast-food chain Burger King, having dropped to the 7th position last year, has bounced back to take top place in the brands table for the very first time. Nike is down from first place to second, with Pedigree in third.

On his company's achievement, Fernando Machado, global chief marketing officer, Burger King, says:

At Burger King, we believe creativity can be a competitive advantage. Doing things differently, standing out, and becoming part of pop culture definitely help strengthen our brand and our business. Our marketing teams and agency partners are honoured to receive this recognition from Warc.

USA retains its place as the most creatively awarded country in the world by far. United Kingdom and Australia follow.

The most highly ranked campaigns and companies in the Warc Creative 100 are:

Top 10 world's most creatively awarded campaigns

Top 10 world's best creative agencies

Top 10 world's best creative agency networks

Top 10 world's best creative holding companies

Top 10 world's best creative brands

Top 10 world's best creative advertisers

Top 10 world's most creative countries

Three highlights have emerged from the world's most creative campaigns:

• Driving behavioural change through participation: this year's top 100 sees purpose-driven campaigns still playing a leading role. However, by introducing an element of participation, Palau Pledge was able to do more than just raise awareness - it changed behaviour. The ALS Association, Burger King and Marmite also used a 'participation' approach.
• Burger King's pop culture focus pays dividends: Three highly ranked campaigns for this year's top creative brand Burger King - 'Scary Clown Night' (#6), 'Google Home of the Whopper' (#24), 'Loving "It"' (#34) - meet Burger King's stated strategy to become part of pop culture.
• Six new agencies enter the top 10: AMV BBDO, Lola MullenLowe Madrid, Host/Havas Sydney, McCann London, BWM Dentsu and Saatchi & Saatchi York. Only four agencies retained top 10 positions in the agency ranking - BBDO New York, adam&eveDDB London, McCann New York and Colenso BBDO Auckland.

David Tiltman, head of content, Warc, says: "The Warc Creative 100 delivers an unbiased and transparent global benchmark for the industry, shining a light on the best creative and inspirational ideas from around the world and the companies behind them. We congratulate all those who have made it into these rankings."

The Warc Creative 100, formally known as The Gunn 100 for Creativity, have been compiled by analysing the results of the most important global and regional creative awards shows, as determined by the industry following a worldwide survey and consultation. This survey will be carried out each year to ensure that the rankings reflect the opinion of the industry.

The creative awards taken into account for these rankings are:

• Global: Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, D&AD, London International Awards (LIA), The One Show.
• Regional: Adfest, Dubai Lynx, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, El Sol, Eurobest, Golden Drum, Loeries, Spikes Asia.

The full rankings - which include the world's top 100 creatively awarded campaigns, top 50 creative agencies, agency networks, brands, advertisers, countries and top holding companies - are available to view here. A sample report is available from here. The campaigns, case studies, credits and subsequent analysis reports are available by subscription.

The Warc Effectiveness 100 rankings will be announced on 4 March and the Warc Media 100 on 11 March.