WPP has emerged top in WARC’s award-based agency rankings for 2021 with Ogilvy most creative network and its offshoot David Miami’s client Burger King top brand. Ogilvy, now headed by Andy Main, displaced Omnicom’s BBDO
Burger King’s ‘Moldy Whopper’ campaign was the most awarded. WPP also topped media.
WPP CEO Mark Read says: “If our role is to make the best work, connect brands seamlessly with audiences and produce outstanding results for our clients, then there’s no better endorsement than to top the WARC 100 rankings for creative, media, and effectiveness.”
In creative Ogilvy headed BBDO and DDB (also Omnicom.) Among individual agencies David narrowly headed Impact BBDO in Dubai and Publicis Milan.
In media WPP’s Mindshare came top ahead of sibling MediaCom. IPG Mediabrands was third. Top brand Burger King was followed home by Ikea and Diesel. Unilever was top advertiser (also a big Ogilvy client, below)
The WARC awards favour the big battalions as they have more agencies entering more awards (and bigger awards budgets to match.) Publicis Groupe is, presumably, still suffering from its decision to ditch awards entries a couple of years ago.
But these are another feather in the cap for Mark Read’s WPP, which is having a good year even if it’s not fully reflected in the share price yet (a worry.)
