At a glance#

  • Six lists one of global networks and five regional ones (North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific), each of up to ten agencies.
  • One method published third-party rankings and award tables only, read by a points rule fixed before the tables were read; every place names the rankings behind it.
  • One purpose to help you see the field and find a partner. A list is a map of recognition, not a verdict on fit.

Why a landscape#

Choosing an agency is one of the decisions a marketer makes least often and lives with longest. The names that come to mind first are the largest and the most awarded, and the gap between how marketers and agencies see the same work is wide: in the BetterBriefs study, 80% of marketers said they write good briefs and 10% of agencies agreed1. A landscape cannot close that gap, but it can replace a list of famous names with a list of recognised ones, each with the evidence that put it there, so a shortlist starts from facts you can check.

How the six lists were made#

Every list follows the same steps, and the method of each, with the tables it read, is printed under it below.

  1. Eligibility The global list holds networks that trade under one brand in at least three of the six regions. A regional list holds agencies whose work is concentrated in that region, including regional brands of global groups that trade under their own name; an agency on the global list is never on a regional one.
  2. The rankings read The most recent published editions of the industry's tables: effectiveness rankings such as the Effie Index, whose 2025 edition was published in June 20262; the WARC Rankings, among them the Creative 1003; and the festivals and regional award tables each method names.
  3. The points rule Written down before any table was read, then applied mechanically: places score points, the order is the total, and ties break by a stated rule. A list may hold fewer than ten agencies when fewer qualify; its method says why, and its ranks still run from 1 without a gap.
  4. The basis Each place carries one or two sentences naming the rankings that earned it, and each of those placings is listed, with its source, on the agency's page.

2026 edition

Global agency networks, 2026

10 agencies

  1. 1

    OgilvyFull-service

    21 points: first network in the WARC Creative 100 and Effective 100 2026, Network of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026 and the One Show 2026, and fifth network in the 2025 Effie Index.

  2. 2

    VMLCreative

    7 points: third network in the WARC Creative 100 2026 and second in the Cannes Lions 2026 Network of the Year table.

  3. 3

    Serviceplan GroupFull-service

    6 points: first independent network in the WARC Creative 100 2026 and in the WARC Media 100 2026.

  4. 4

    LeoCreative

    5 points: first agency network in the 2025 Effie Index; placed ahead of the other 5-point networks by the Effie tie-break.

  5. 5

    CaratMedia planning and buying

    5 points: Cannes Lions 2026 Media Network of the Year; among the 5-point networks it is placed alphabetically.

  6. 6

    Klick HealthFull-service

    5 points: Cannes Lions 2026 Healthcare Network of the Year; among the 5-point networks it is placed alphabetically.

  7. 7

    MindshareMedia planning and buying

    5 points: first network in the WARC Media 100 2026; among the 5-point networks it is placed alphabetically.

  8. 8

    McCannCreative

    4 points: second agency network in the 2025 Effie Index; placed ahead of PHD by the Effie tie-break.

  9. 9

    PHDMedia planning and buying

    4 points: second network in the WARC Media 100 2026.

  10. 10

    OMDMedia planning and buying

    3 points: third network in the WARC Media 100 2026; tied with TBWA (third Network of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026) and placed ahead of it alphabetically.

How the list was made

Eligible: agency networks that trade under one brand in at least three of the Report's six regions (creative, media, PR, healthcare or integrated). Holding companies are not listed, and neither are holding-group platforms that house several separately branded networks (Omnicom Media, WPP Media, Publicis Media): their placings are noted, not scored, and their branded networks are scored instead. Brands retired by October 2026 are not eligible. Tables read, most recent edition: the 2025 Effie Index agency networks (published June 2026; top five published); the WARC Creative 100, Effective 100 and Media 100 2026 network rankings (March 2026; the places reported by WARC, the agencies and the press); Cannes Lions 2026 Network, Media Network and Healthcare Network of the Year; One Show 2026 Network of the Year; and the independent-network tables of Cannes Lions 2026, One Show 2026 and the WARC Creative 100 and Media 100 2026. Points: in a table open to every network, 1st scores 5, 2nd 4, 3rd 3, 4th 2, 5th 1; in a table open only to independents, 1st scores 3, 2nd 2, 3rd 1; any other published placing scores 1. The order is the total. Ties break by the better 2025 Effie Index network rank, then by the number of tables placed in, then alphabetically. As published by 17 October 2026.

The rankings it reads

  1. 2025 Global Effie Index Rankings AnnouncedEffie Worldwide, 2026-06-16To re-check
  2. Effie announces 2025 Global Effie Index, unveiling the world's most effective marketersAPAC Effie, 2026-06-17To re-check
  3. Effie: most effective marketers, 2025 Global IndexLBB Online, 2026-06To re-check
  4. Creative 100WARC, 2026-03-10To re-check
  5. Ogilvy tops WARC Creative 100 for the sixth consecutive yearOgilvy, 2026-03To re-check
  6. WARC Creative 100: VML No. 3 globallyVML, 2026-03To re-check
  7. WPP tops WARC Creative 100 for fourth year running; dearly departed DDB named second most creative agencyB&T, 2026-03To re-check
  8. WARC Effective 100: Top agencies 2026WARC, 2026-03-17To re-check
  9. Ogilvy tops WARC Effective 100 and Creative 100 for the 4th straight yearOgilvy, 2026-03To re-check
  10. WARC Media 100: Top agencies 2026WARC, 2026-03To re-check
  11. WARC: The global 2026 Media 100 revealedAdNews, 2026-03To re-check
  12. #1 in WARC Creative 100 and Media 100Serviceplan Group, 2026-03To re-check
  13. Ogilvy, LePub Milan and Heineken win network, agency and brand of year at Cannes Lions 2026Campaign, 2026-06To re-check
  14. Cannes Lions 2026: Agency of the Year, Network: Ogilvy, Rethink, LePubLBB Online, 2026-06To re-check
  15. Here are the Cannes Lions Special Awards for 2026The Stable, 2026-06To re-check
  16. Carat wins Cannes Lions Media Network of the YearMediaweek, 2026-06To re-check
  17. Klick Health roars again, crowned 2026 Cannes Lions Healthcare Agency of the Year and Healthcare Network of the YearKlick Health (press release via BNN Bloomberg), 2026-06-23To re-check
  18. One Show 2026 Global Creative RankingsThe One Club for Creativity, 2026-05-18To re-check
  19. Omnicom retires DDB, FCB, MullenLoweexchange4media, 2025-12To re-check
  20. Publicis Groupe launches Leo, a new creative constellation uniting Publicis Worldwide and Leo BurnettPublicis Groupe, 2025-01-14To re-check

2026 edition

North America agencies, 2026

10 agencies

  1. 1

    RethinkCreative

    27 points: Ad Age Agency of the Year 2026; Cannes Lions 2026 Independent Agency and Independent Network of the Year and third Agency of the Year; One Show 2026 second agency, Independent Agency and Independent Network of the Year; first in Canada in the 2025 Effie Index.

  2. 2

    AcadiaMedia planning and buying

    5 points: Ad Age's 2026 Media Agency of the Year; tied with UWG and placed ahead alphabetically.

  3. 3

    UWGFull-service

    5 points: Ad Age's 2026 Multicultural Agency of the Year; tied with Acadia and placed after it alphabetically.

  4. 4

    Bob's Your UncleCreative

    3 points: WINA 2026 North American Agency of the Year (independents only); tied with Special US and placed ahead alphabetically.

  5. 5

    Special USCreative

    3 points: Ad Age's 2026 Independent Agency of the Year (independents only); tied with Bob's Your Uncle and placed after it alphabetically.

  6. 6

    CossetteFull-service

    2 points: joint second in Canada in the 2025 Effie Index; tied with LG2 and Isle of Any, placed ahead of Isle of Any by its Effie standing and of LG2 alphabetically.

  7. 7

    LG2Creative

    2 points: joint second in Canada in the 2025 Effie Index; tied with Cossette and Isle of Any, placed after Cossette alphabetically and ahead of Isle of Any by its Effie standing.

  8. 8

    Isle of AnyCreative

    2 points: second Independent Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026; tied with Cossette and LG2, placed after them by the Effie tie-break.

  9. 9

    Lifelong CrushCreative

    1 point: sixth in Canada in the 2025 Effie Index; tied with American Haiku and placed ahead by its Effie standing.

  10. 10

    American HaikuCreative

    1 point: named on Ad Age's A-List 2026; tied with Lifelong Crush (placed ahead by its Effie standing) and with Collins (placed after alphabetically).

How the list was made

Eligible: agencies whose operations are concentrated in the United States and Canada (headquartered there, with most offices there), including North America-only brands of wider groups that trade under their own name. Not eligible: agencies on the global list; offices of global networks (such as VML New York); networks with most offices outside North America (such as Droga5, NP Digital and Weber Shandwick Collective, all on Ad Age's A-List 2026); and retired brands (FCB New York). Tables read, most recent edition: Ad Age A-List 2026 (March 2026: Agency of the Year and the discipline awards for media, multicultural, performance, PR and network; Independent Agency of the Year; agencies named on the A-List); Cannes Lions 2026 Agency of the Year, Independent Agency of the Year and Independent Network of the Year; One Show 2026 Global Creative Rankings for agencies, Independent Agency of the Year and Independent Network of the Year; the Canadian table of the 2025 North America Effie Index (July 2026); and WINA 2026 North American Agency of the Year. Points: in a table open to every agency, 1st scores 5, 2nd 4, 3rd 3, 4th 2, 5th 1; in a table open only to independents or to one country, 1st scores 3, 2nd 2, 3rd 1; any other published placing, including a mention on the A-List, scores 1. The order is the total. Ties break by the better 2025 Effie Index standing, then by the number of tables placed in, then alphabetically. As published by 17 October 2026.

The rankings it reads

  1. Rethink: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  2. Acadia: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  3. UWG: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  4. Special US: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03-09To re-check
  5. American Haiku: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  6. Droga5: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  7. NP Digital: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  8. Weber Shandwick Collective: A-List 2026Ad Age, 2026-03To re-check
  9. Cannes Lions 2026: Agency of the Year, Network: Ogilvy, Rethink, LePubLBB Online, 2026-06To re-check
  10. Here are the Cannes Lions Special Awards for 2026The Stable, 2026-06To re-check
  11. One Show 2026 Global Creative RankingsThe One Club for Creativity, 2026-05-18To re-check
  12. VML New York tops 2026 One Show Global Creative RankingsLBB Online, 2026-05To re-check
  13. Canadian agencies continue to see North America success in Effie IndexLBB Online, 2026-07-01To re-check
  14. Bob's Your Uncle Agency of the Year at WINA Festival 2026LBB Online, 2026To re-check
  15. Droga5 named Ad Age's Network of the Year for the first timeCampaign Brief, 2026-03To re-check
  16. Neil Patel's agency: NP DigitalNP Digital, accessed 2026-10To re-check

2026 edition

Latin America agencies 2026

7 agencies

  1. 1

    AlmapBBDOCreative

    7 points: Agency of the Year at the Effie Awards Latin America 2025, first agency office in the 2025 Effie Index, and second in Meio & Mensagem's ranking of Brazilian agencies at Cannes Lions 2026.

  2. 2

    ArtplanCreative

    5 points: Independent Agency of the Year at El Ojo de Iberoamérica 2025, fourth Independent Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025, and fifth in Meio & Mensagem's ranking of Brazilian agencies at Cannes Lions 2026.

  3. 3

    VALOR GroupCreative

    4 points: first Latin American independent in the 2025 Effie Index, plus Independent Agency of the Year at the Effie Awards Perú 2025.

  4. 4

    Africa CreativeCreative

    3 points: second in the Cannes Lions 2025 global Agency of the Year table and eighth in Meio & Mensagem's ranking of Brazilian agencies at Cannes Lions 2026.

  5. 5

    Sancho BBDOCreative

    1 point: fifth agency office worldwide in the 2025 Effie Index; tied with Fantástica and 10:10, it goes first because a global Effie table ranks above a national Effie title.

  6. 6

    FantásticaCreative

    1 point: Independent Agency of the Year at the Effie Awards Colombia 2026; tied with 10:10 on a national Effie title, it goes first on the more recent placing.

  7. 7

    10:10Creative

    1 point: Independent Agency of the Year at the Effie Awards Chile 2025; tied with Fantástica, whose national Effie title is more recent.

How the list was made

Eligibility: agencies whose operations are concentrated in Latin America (headquartered in the region with most offices there), including locally branded affiliates of global networks that trade under their own name, with the network owner named. Networks eligible for the global list, offices trading under a global network's name (for example VML México or BBDO Chile), and agencies headquartered outside the region are left out. Rankings read, 2025 and 2026 editions: El Ojo de Iberoamérica 2025 (Agency and Independent Agency of the Year); the Effie Awards Latin America 2025 (Agency of the Year); the 2025 Effie Index (Latin America and global agency-office and independent tables); Cannes Lions 2025 (Agency and Independent Agency of the Year); Meio & Mensagem's national ranking of Brazilian agencies at Cannes Lions 2026; national Effie agency titles where published (Chile 2025, Peru 2025, Colombia 2026). Points: first place in a regional or global agency-of-the-year table (overall or independent) scores 3, second or third 2, fourth to tenth 1; a national or single-track agency-of-the-year title (for example a country's independent agency of the year, or an independent agency of the year for Craft or Good), or a top-ten place in a national ranking, scores 1. An agency counts once per table, at its best-placed office, and the global and regional versions of the same table count once, at the better score. The order is the total. Ties break by Effie standing (more Effie points first; a regional or global Effie table ranks above a national Effie title), then by the more recent placing, then alphabetically. This edition lists seven agencies, the ones that scored under this rule in the tables that could be read; the remaining places stay open until the full Effie Latin America and El Ojo agency tables are read. As published by 17 October 2026.

The rankings it reads

  1. España clausura su andadura en El Ojo de Iberoamérica con grandes premiosMarketingDirecto, 2025-11To re-check
  2. Artplan, Agência Independente do Ano no El Ojo de Iberoamérica 2025Propmark, 2025-11To re-check
  3. Effie Latam: Almap é agência do ano pelo quarto ano seguidoMeio & Mensagem, 2025-10To re-check
  4. Effie Index: AlmapBBDO is #1 effective agency, McDonald's is #1 brandThe Stable, 2026-06To re-check
  5. 2025 Global Effie Index, Unveiling the World's Most Effective MarketersDigitaling, 2026-06To re-check
  6. 2025 Global Effie Index Rankings AnnouncedEffie Worldwide, accessed 2026-10To re-check
  7. Cannes Lions 2025 Global Rankings and Creativity Reports: Publicis Conseil is Agency of the Year, DDB is Network of the Year, Motion Sickness is Pacific Agency of the YearThe Stable, 2025-06To re-check
  8. Pela 1ª vez, Brasil tem campanha mais premiada do mundo (ranking nacional Cannes Lions 2026)Meio & Mensagem, 2026-06To re-check
  9. Effie Awards Perú 2025Semana Económica, 2025-05To re-check
  10. Fantástica se consolida como la agencia Independiente del año en los Effie Awards Colombia 2026Noticias RCN, 2026To re-check
  11. 2025 Effie Awards Chile Winners AnnouncedEffie Worldwide, 2025-10To re-check
  12. Omnicom consolidates global advertising agencies into TBWA, McCann and BBDOCampaign, accessed 2026-10To re-check

2026 edition

Top agencies in Europe, 2026

10 agencies

  1. 1

    BandaCreative

    6 points: first agency office and first independent agency in Europe in the 2025 Effie Index; it leads the tie at 6 points on Effie standing.

  2. 2

    LePub MilanCreative

    6 points: Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026 and first agency in the WARC Creative 100 2026; tied at 6 with no Effie standing found, it is placed alphabetically.

  3. 3

    Publicis ConseilCreative

    6 points: Agency of the Year at Eurobest 2025, third agency in the WARC Creative 100 2026 and a Cannes Lions 2026 track title; tied at 6 with no Effie standing found, it is placed alphabetically.

  4. 4

    BetterSvitCreative

    3 points: Independent Agency of the Year at the Effie Awards Europe 2025; it leads the tie at 3 points on Effie standing.

  5. 5

    Adam&Eve\TBWACreative

    3 points: Agency of the Year at the Campaign Big Awards 2025, won as Adam & Eve/DDB; tied at 3 with no Effie standing found in the sources read.

  6. 6

    RafineriCreative

    2 points: second among Europe's independent agency offices in the 2025 Effie Index (fifth worldwide, with Banda the only European office above it); it leads the tie at 2 points on Effie standing.

  7. 7

    HappinessCreative

    2 points: second for Agency of the Year at Eurobest 2025; tied at 2 with no Effie standing found, it is placed alphabetically.

  8. 8

    Mother LondonCreative

    2 points: third for Independent Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026; tied at 2 with no Effie standing found, it is placed alphabetically.

  9. 9

    TRYFull-service

    2 points: second for Independent Agency of the Year at Eurobest 2025; tied at 2 with no Effie standing found, it is placed alphabetically.

  10. 10

    Gres TodorchukPR and communications

    1 point: a placing in the top ten independent agencies in Europe in the 2025 Effie Index; tied at 1 point with a Cannes Lions track title, it takes tenth place on Effie standing.

How the list was made

Eligible: agencies whose operations are concentrated in Europe, UK included (headquartered there, most offices there), including affiliates of global networks that trade under their own regional name. Offices that trade under a global network's brand (for example Wieden+Kennedy London, Burson London, or Serviceplan Germany, an office of the Serviceplan Group on the global list) belong to the global list and are left out. Türkiye is read with Europe, as the Effie Index does. Tables read, most recent edition available on 17 October 2026: Cannes Lions 2026 Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year (overall and by track); Eurobest 2025 Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year; the WARC Creative 100 2026 agency and independent-agency rankings; the 2025 Effie Index (published June 2026) Europe agency-office and independent-agency rankings (where the Europe table itself was not shown, the agency's order among European agencies in the worldwide table); the Effie Awards Europe 2025 Independent Agency of the Year; the Campaign Big Awards 2025 Agency of the Year. Points rule, applied mechanically: first place in a table scores 3, second or third scores 2, any other published placing (including a track-level title) scores 1; an agency scores once per table, at its best placing; network tables are not read. The order is the total. Ties break by Effie standing (an Effie Index placing first, then an Effie title, then an Effie metal), then alphabetically. As published by 17 October 2026.

The rankings it reads

  1. Here are the Cannes Lions Special Awards for 2026The Stable, 2026-06To re-check
  2. Ogilvy, LePub Milan and Heineken win network, agency and brand of year at Cannes Lions 2026Campaign, 2026-06To re-check
  3. Eurobest reveals its networks, agencies, production companies of the yearThe Stable, 2025-12To re-check
  4. Eurobest announces winners of the 25th awardsLBB Online, 2025-12To re-check
  5. Eurobest Special Awards: how Agency of the Year is scoredEurobest, accessed 2026-10To re-check
  6. WARC Creative 100 : le palmarès mondial de la créativité publicitaire 2026J'ai un pote dans la com, 2026-03To re-check
  7. WARC Rankings 2026: Creative 100 revealedWARC, 2026-03To re-check
  8. WARC Creative 100: Top agencies 2026WARC, 2026-03To re-check
  9. WARC Creative 100WARC, accessed 2026-10To re-check
  10. Effie Index: Most Effective Independent Agency Offices 2025Effie Worldwide, 2026-06To re-check
  11. Effie Index announces the world's most effective marketers for 2025Media & Marketing, 2026-06To re-check
  12. Banda, Gres Todorchuk and Silpo among the leaders of the Effie IndexForbes Ukraine, 2026-06To re-check
  13. Effie Awards Europe names winnersLBB Online, 2025-12To re-check
  14. Campaign Big Awards 2025: winners revealedCampaign, 2025To re-check
  15. #1 in WARC Creative 100 and Media 100Serviceplan Group, 2026-03To re-check

2026 edition

Top agencies in the Middle East and Africa, 2026

10 agencies

  1. 1

    BigTime Creative ShopCreative

    9 points: Independent Agency of the Year and third MENA Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx 2025, first MENA agency in the Loeries 2025 Official Rankings, and a placing in the WARC Creative 100 2026.

  2. 2

    FP7 McCannCreative

    8 points: first agency office in the Middle East and Africa in the 2025 Effie Index, Most Effective Agency Office at the MENA Effies 2025, and second MENA Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx 2025.

  3. 3

    Joe Public UnitedCreative

    6 points: first agency across Africa and the Middle East, and first independent agency, in the Loeries 2025 Official Rankings.

  4. 4

    Impact BBDOCreative

    4 points: MENA Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx 2025, and seventh agency in the WARC Effective 100 2026.

  5. 5

    DejavuCreative

    3 points: first independent agency in the Middle East and Africa in the 2025 Effie Index; it leads the tie at 3 points on Effie standing.

  6. 6

    Peace CakeCreative

    3 points: Most Effective Independent Agency of the Year at the MENA Effie Awards 2025; tied at 3 on an Effie title, it is placed alphabetically.

  7. 7

    TBWA\Hunt LascarisCreative

    3 points: the Grand Effie at the Effie Awards South Africa 2025; tied at 3 on an Effie title, it is placed alphabetically.

  8. 8

    The PartnershipCreative

    3 points: the Middle East and Africa's only Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2026; tied at 3 with no Effie standing found in the sources read.

  9. 9

    Abdullah & ShokriCreative

    2 points: third for Independent Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx 2025.

  10. 10

    X3M IdeasCreative

    1 point: seventh among independent agencies in Africa and the Middle East in the Loeries 2025 Official Rankings.

How the list was made

Eligible: agencies whose operations are concentrated in the Middle East or Africa (headquartered there, most offices there), including affiliates of global networks that trade under their own regional name (for example Impact BBDO, FP7 McCann, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris). Offices that trade under a global network's brand (for example Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East, Publicis Middle East, Ogilvy South Africa) belong to the global list, and Serviceplan Middle East is an office of the Serviceplan Group, which is on the global list; they are left out. Tables read, most recent edition available on 17 October 2026: Dubai Lynx 2025 MENA Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year (the 2026 ceremony moved to 8 October 2026 and its tables were not yet published in the sources reached); the MENA Effie Awards 2025 agency-office and independent-agency titles; the 2025 Effie Index (published June 2026) Middle East and Africa agency-office and independent-agency rankings; the Effie Awards South Africa 2025 Grand Effie; the Loeries 2025 Official Rankings (published February 2026) agency ranking, read at the agency's best placing across its Africa-and-Middle-East and MENA splits, and independent-agency ranking; the WARC Effective 100 and Creative 100 2026 agency rankings; and the region's Grand Prix winners at Cannes Lions 2026. Points rule, applied mechanically: first place in a table, an Effie or Effie Index title, a Grand Effie or a Cannes Lions 2026 Grand Prix scores 3; second or third place scores 2; any other published placing scores 1; an agency scores once per table, at its best placing; network tables are not read. The order is the total. Ties break by Effie standing (an Effie Index placing first, then an Effie title or Grand Effie, then an Effie metal), then alphabetically. As published by 17 October 2026.

The rankings it reads

  1. Dubai Lynx announces 2025 winnersCampaign Middle East, 2025To re-check
  2. Saudi brands and agencies win seven Grand Prix trophies at Dubai Lynx Awards 2025Arab News, 2025To re-check
  3. Dubai Lynx 2026 moves to October, awards set for October 8Communicate Online, 2026To re-check
  4. MENA Effie awards mark 16th edition with grand celebration in RiyadhCommunicate Online, 2025-12To re-check
  5. Global Effie Index: 2025's most effective marketers, brands and agenciesBizcommunity, 2026-06To re-check
  6. Effies 2025: TBWA\Hunt Lascaris and City Lodge campaign voted most effectiveFinancial Mail, 2025-10To re-check
  7. Loeries Official Rankings 2025The Loeries, 2026-02To re-check
  8. Joe Public and Chicken Licken dominate the 2025 Loeries Official RankingsFinancial Mail, 2026-02To re-check
  9. BigTime Creative Shop tops MENA list in the Loeries 2025 rankingsCampaign Middle East, 2026-02To re-check
  10. WARC Rankings 2026: how did the region do?Campaign Middle East, 2026-03To re-check
  11. WARC Effective 100: Top agencies 2026WARC, 2026-03To re-check
  12. Final winners announced for 2026Cannes Lions, 2026-06To re-check

2026 edition

Asia-Pacific agencies 2026

10 agencies

  1. 1

    Special GroupCreative

    9 points: first in the Spikes Asia 2025 Independent Agency of the Year table and first in both the Agency and Independent Agency of the Year tables of the 2026 APAC Effie Awards; it leads Motion Sickness on the same points by Effie standing.

  2. 2

    Motion SicknessCreative

    9 points: first in the Spikes Asia 2026 independent table and the Cannes Lions 2025 Pacific Agency of the Year table, fifth among independents at Cannes Lions 2025 and joint fifth at ADFEST 2025, and Cannes Lions 2026 Independent Agency of the Year for Good.

  3. 3

    The WombCreative

    8 points: Independent Agency of the Year and third Agency of the Year at the APAC Effie Awards 2025, and first Asia-Pacific independent in the 2025 Effie Index.

  4. 4

    Bear Meets Eagle On FireCreative

    5 points: third Independent Agency of the Year and second Pacific Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025, plus the Cannes Lions 2025 independent title for Craft.

  5. 5

    GigilCreative

    4 points: first in the ADFEST 2025 Independent Agency of the Year table, plus Campaign Asia-Pacific's 2025 Philippines Independent Agency of the Year.

  6. 6

    SupermassiveCreative

    3 points: second in the Spikes Asia 2026 independent table and fourth in the ADFEST 2025 independent table; it ties with TBWA\HAKUHODO and Colenso BBDO and goes first on its 2026 placing, then alphabetically.

  7. 7

    TBWA\HAKUHODOCreative

    3 points: third Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year and first Strategy & Effectiveness Agency of the Year at Spikes Asia 2026; tied with Supermassive and Colenso BBDO, it is placed by its 2026 placing, then alphabetically.

  8. 8

    Colenso BBDOCreative

    3 points: first in the Spikes Asia 2025 Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year table; tied with Supermassive and TBWA\HAKUHODO, whose placings are more recent.

  9. 9

    FundamentalCreative

    2 points: second in the ADFEST 2026 Independent Agency of the Year table; among five agencies on 2 points it places ninth on its 2026 placing, then alphabetically.

  10. 10

    Howatson+CompanyCreative

    2 points: third in the Spikes Asia 2026 Independent Agency of the Year table; among five agencies on 2 points it places tenth on its 2026 placing, then alphabetically.

How the list was made

Eligibility: agencies whose operations are concentrated in Asia-Pacific, South Asia included (headquartered in the region with most offices there), including locally branded affiliates of global networks that trade under their own name, with the network owner named. Networks eligible for the global list, offices trading under a global network's name (for example Ogilvy Mumbai or Leo India), advertiser-owned in-house agencies and production companies are left out. Rankings read, 2025 and 2026 editions: Spikes Asia (Asia-Pacific Agency, Independent Agency, and Strategy & Effectiveness Agency of the Year); ADFEST (Independent Agency of the Year); the APAC Effie Awards (Agency and Independent Agency of the Year); the 2025 Effie Index (Asia-Pacific and global independent tables); Cannes Lions (Pacific Agency, Independent Agency, and independent track titles); Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year 2025. Points: first place in a regional or global agency-of-the-year table (overall or independent) scores 3, second or third 2, fourth to tenth 1; a national or single-track agency-of-the-year title (for example a country's independent agency of the year, or an independent agency of the year for Craft or Good), or a top-ten place in a national ranking, scores 1. An agency counts once per table, at its best-placed office, and the global and regional versions of the same table count once, at the better score. The order is the total. Ties break by Effie standing (more Effie points first; a regional or global Effie table ranks above a national Effie title), then by the more recent placing, then alphabetically. As published by 17 October 2026.

The rankings it reads

  1. Spikes Asia announces its 2025 winnersSpikes Asia, 2025-04To re-check
  2. Spikes Asia 2025: India bags five Grands PrixManifest Media, 2025-04To re-check
  3. Spikes Asia announces its 2026 winnersSpikes Asia, 2026-03To re-check
  4. Motion Sickness named Independent Agency of the Year at Spikes Asia and awarded Grand Prix for GoodRoastbrief, 2026-03To re-check
  5. Hakuhodo Group in Spikes Asia 2026 BonanzaHakuhodo, 2026-03To re-check
  6. ADFEST 2025 Lotus Special AwardsADFEST, 2025-03To re-check
  7. ADFEST 2026 Lotus Special AwardsADFEST, 2026-03To re-check
  8. APAC Effies: Ogilvy Mumbai is Agency of the Year, The Womb is Independent Agency of the YearThe Stable, 2025-09To re-check
  9. Special, LEO, Grab dominate APAC EffiesB&T, 2026-09To re-check
  10. Effie announces 2025 Global Effie Index, unveiling the world's most effective marketersAPAC Effie Awards, 2026-06To re-check
  11. 2025 Global Effie Index, Unveiling the World's Most Effective MarketersDigitaling, 2026-06To re-check
  12. Cannes Lions 2025 Global Rankings and Creativity Reports: Publicis Conseil is Agency of the Year, DDB is Network of the Year, Motion Sickness is Pacific Agency of the YearThe Stable, 2025-06To re-check
  13. Bear Meets Eagle On Fire crowned Independent Agency of the Year (Craft) at Cannes Lions 2025, ranked #3 indie agency of the year globallyCampaign Brief, 2025-06To re-check
  14. Here are the Cannes Lions Special Awards for 2026The Stable, 2026-06To re-check
  15. Agency of the Year 2025 winners: Southeast AsiaCampaign Asia-Pacific, 2025-12To re-check

Counted from the directory when this page was shown; the numbers move when the listings do. The agency landscape

A year of consolidation#

The lists are of brands that trade today. Groups merged and retired brands between editions: after its acquisition of IPG, Omnicom retired DDB, FCB and MullenLowe4, and Publicis Groupe united Publicis Worldwide and Leo Burnett as Leo5. A name you knew may now be part of another network; the agency's page names its owner, and the owner matters when you ask about conflicts.

Using the lists to choose a partner#

Fit over fame. The lists tell you who is recognised; only your brief tells you who fits.

  1. Write the brief first What problem, which objectives, which audience, what money and time, who decides. Briefing agencies explains what a brief contains, and the agency brief template is one to fill in.
  2. Shortlist on what you need Find your stack ranks agencies on the services, market, disciplines, industry and size you name, and never reads a list's rank.
  3. Compare like with like Compare sets agencies side by side on the same facts and the same six checks: ownership, services, offices, privacy, effectiveness and published work.
  4. Ask before you pitch Who would work on our business, and what share of their time? Which clients like us have you kept, and for how long? Which of our competitors do you or your group work for? Show us the effectiveness case behind your best-known award. How will you be paid, and how will we measure you?
  5. Run a fair pitch The industry's own principles, from the IPA's Good Pitch6 to the ANA and 4As' 2026 Positive Pitch Principles7, ask for a clear brief, a short list and respect for the agencies' time.

From the lists to a partner

  1. 1Brief

    Write what you need before you look at names

  2. 2Shortlist

    Rank agencies on services, market and disciplines

  3. 3Compare

    The same facts and the same six checks, side by side

  4. 4Ask

    Team, conflicts, effectiveness, pay and measures

  5. 5Pitch

    A clear brief, a short list, respect for time

The steps described above, in order.

What the lists cannot tell you#

  • Awards reward entrants A ranking built on awards counts the agencies that enter them; an excellent agency that does not enter is missing from the tables, and so from the lists.
  • Size is not fit A network's reach helps a brief across many markets and may be wasted on a local one.
  • Rankings look back They describe work from the year before; teams change faster than tables.
  • The regions differ Some regions publish fewer tables than others, so a regional list may hold fewer agencies.

Every place is a published fact you can check; if one is wrong, or a ranking is missing, tell the editors.

Sources

Every claim worth checking, with somewhere to check it.

  1. The BetterBriefs Project finds 33% of marketing budgets wasted due to poor briefsB&T · 2021
  2. 2025 Global Effie Index Rankings AnnouncedEffie Worldwide · 2026-06-16
  3. Creative 100WARC · 2026-03-10
  4. Omnicom retires DDB, FCB, MullenLoweexchange4media · 2025-12
  5. Publicis Groupe launches Leo, a new creative constellation uniting Publicis Worldwide and Leo BurnettPublicis Groupe · 2025-01-14
  6. The Good PitchIPA · accessed 2026-10
  7. ANA and 4As 10 Positive Pitch PrinciplesANA · 2026-05