WPP has been rated the top holding company and Publicis grabbed the best campaign in the WARC 2026 Creative 100, compiled by combining the results of the most important global and regional awards shows.
Australia was ranked sixth in the world and the only Australian campaign in the rankings is 36 Months by FINCH and Supermassive. It won the Game Changer Award (sponsored by Perion) at last month’s AdNews Agency of the Year.
This is a landmark advocacy campaign that fundamentally changed the game in how societies protect children online.
Within just six months, it achieved something unprecedented: making Australia the first country in the world to legislate a higher minimum age for social media access, raising it from 13 to 16.
Amy Rodgers, head of content, WARC Creative, said the top campaigns demonstrate creative innovation across diverse media types.
“In an industry where sheer choice of channel or platform could threaten to overwhelm, creatives are leaning in and finding new ways to engage and drive emotion within their audiences,” Rodgers said.
The most awarded work continues to demonstrate how creativity can be applied to drive change in the world, helping people with visual impairment, the LGBTQ+ community, those with the Herpes virus, and victims of domestic violence.
Though not a new trend, this year’s campaigns demonstrate innovation in the approach to cause messaging.
There are two B2B campaigns in the top 10 of the Creative 100 this year – for Spotify’s Spreadbeats and JCDecaux’s sales boost of outdoor advertising space.
Rodgers said this was a clear indication that creativity is a growing differentiator within B2B marketing.
The most creatively celebrated campaign of 2025 was ‘Three Words’ for insurance brand AXA by Publicis Conseil Paris. AXA added three words – "and domestic violence" – to its insurance policies in France to give victims access to immediate relocation cover as part of their policy.
“I believe the reason this idea resonated with so many people is the contrast between its simplicity and its exponential impact," said Marco Venturelli, CEO/chief creative officer Publicis Conseil, Global CEO Leo, chief creative officer Publicis France.
"With just three words, we are pivoting millions of home insurance policies to make them more inclusive of a risk that affects women more than fires or floods.
"It serves as a reminder of the power of creativity. It proves that even the most common product – like a home insurance that hasn’t evolved in centuries – can be reinvented to make a difference.”
Rising up from second place last year, LePub Milan tops the Creative Ranking for the first time with two campaigns for Heineken in the top 100 and numerous other campaigns contributing points.
Independent agency Serviceplan Munich jumps into second place from seventh last year, and Publicis Conseil Paris, with another strong year, is third.
Serviceplan Munich also takes the top spot of the independent agencies, followed by Rethink, Toronto and Klick Health, Toronto.
Ogilvy is the most awarded network for the sixth year in a row. The network has fifteen campaigns in the top 100, with seven offices from around the world contributing to its ranking: Ogilvy New York, Singapore, Mumbai, Ogilvy Health New York, DAVID Madrid, New York and Circus Grey Lima.
DDB Worldwide, soon to be retired, is in second place for its work in 2025, followed by VML in third. Leo appeared as a new network this year after its rebrand and merger with Publicis Worldwide. While LePub, formerly in the rankings as part of the Publicis Worldwide network, is now represented as its own network, debuting in 9th place.
Serviceplan tops the independent networks ranking for a second consecutive year. Rethink and Klick follow.
WPP maintained its position at the top of the holding company ranking for a fourth consecutive year with three networks in the top 50: Ogilvy and VML ranked first and third respectively, and AKQA in 28th.
“Our continued recognition in the WARC Creative 100 is a testament to WPP's incredible talent and the hard work of our dedicated teams globally,” said Rob Reilly, global chief creative officer, WPP.
“While awards represent the visible tip of the iceberg, we fundamentally believe in the power of creativity to shape culture and drive profound, sustainable growth for our client partners.
“This commitment to delivering real-world impact for the world's most iconic brands is what truly defines our success.”
After being a top ten brand for the last four years, and second last year, Heineken has reached the most creative brand for the first time.
The beer brand has two campaigns in the top 100 and a further 19 campaigns in the full creative 100 database, from 12 different countries across the world, highlighting its global reach.
Unilever is the top advertiser in the Creative 100 for the first time. The FMCG giant is represented by 15 different brands in the full Creative 100 database, with Vaseline and Dove making the top 50 brands, in 9th and 10th respectively.
The US retains its first place as the #1 country for creativity– a rank it has held since 2006 (when the Creative 100 was the Gunn Report).
Thirty of the top 100 campaigns came from the US, equal to 2025. The UK, in second place, generated 11 of the top 100 campaigns. Brazil moves up one place to claim third.
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