Do D&AD network rankings point to Cannes wins for Omnicom and BBDO?
The UK’s D&AD awards is an international affair these days and for the first time this year the UK was displaced as best performing country by the US.
As such it may be a useful guide to Cannes for those who care about these things, which the holding companies do.
Network of the Year went to BBDO Worldwide for campaigns including Clemenger BBDO Melbourne’s Black Pencil winner ‘Meet Graham (below).’ followed by adam&eveDDB and Dentsu. Independent Network of the Year went to Wieden+Kennedy which didn’t enjoy a vintage year but there aren’t many truly independent networks left.
Network Rankings:
1/BBDO Worldwide
2/Ogilvy & Mather
3/TBWA Worldwide
4/DDB Worldwide
5/McCann Worldgroup
6/Saatchi & Saatchi
7/Dentsu
8/J. Walter Thompson
9/Leo Burnett
10/Grey Group
Independent Network Rankings:
1/Wieden+Kennedy
2/Droga5
3/Fred & Farid Group
4/The North Alliance
5/Serviceplan
6/CJ Worx
7/Cossette
8/We Believers
Buzzman
10=/Jones Knowles Ritchie
10=/Scholz & Friends
Country Rankings:
1/USA
2/UK
3/Australia
4/France
5/Germany
6/Japan
7/Sweden
8/Canada
9/Singapore
10/Netherlands
D&AD didn’t compute a holding company of the year ranking as far as we know (much sought after at Cannes) but, judged by the network rankings it would have been Omnicom with BBDO, DDB (assisted by adam&eve) and TBWA in the top four. WPP’s Ogilvy has won the last few years at Cannes even though BBDO tops most other rankings. WPP has been top holding company.
WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell said last year that he was worried about the cost of Cannes and, with a cost squeeze in place at WPP, it will be interesting to see how Ogilvy performs this year as it might have less marketing oomph behind it.
WPP and Ogilvy are both in the position that if they win again at Cannes it will be a “dog bites man” story but if they’re displaced it will be the opposite, traditionally more newsworthy. BBDO looks a formidable rival. On top of Clemenger’s success, UK outpost AMV BBDO cleaned up at the recent Creative Circle awards.
Money talks in awards these days which may be why the Latam countries don’t figure in the top ten. Re-editing films in English is an expensive business and the market there is tough.