The WARC Rankings 2026: Creative 100 have been released. It’s an unsurprising triumph for AXA’s Three Words by Publicis Conseil, ranked #1 Campaign.
WARC’s #1 most awarded campaigns and companies for creativity are:
- Campaign: Three Words by Publicis Conseil Paris for AXA
- Agency: LePub Milan | Independent agency: Serviceplan Munich
- Network: Ogilvy | Independent network: Serviceplan
- Holding Company: WPP
- Brand: Heineken
- Advertiser: Unilever
- Country: United States
Three themes were discovered by WARC in this year’s Creative 100:
1.)Creativity across media channels: 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.
2.)Advocacy through creativity: 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 true innovation in the approach to cause messaging.
3.)Creative B2B shines: 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. A clear indication that creativity is a growing differentiator within B2B marketing.
#1 Campaign for creativity: Three Words by Publicis Conseil Paris for AXA
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.
Marco Venturelli, CEO & chief creative officer publicis conseil, Global CEO Leo, chief creative officer Publicis France, stated, “I believe the reason this idea resonated with so many people is the contrast between its simplicity and its exponential impact. 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.”
Second is the B2B campaign, Spreadbeats, by FCB New York for Spotify. The music streaming service changed the the perception of its advertising capabilities among media planners by displaying its video ad potential and ROI superiority. Third is Lap of Legends, by FCB New York / 160over90 New York, for Michelob Ultra. The beer brand partnered with Formula 1, creating a real vs. virtual F1 race.
#1 Agency for creativity: LePub, Milan, up from #2 last year, with points from two campaigns for Heineken in the top 100
#1 Independent Agency for creativity and #2 Agency for creativity is Serviceplan, Munich, from #7 last year. Publicis Conseil was placed third. Rethink, Toronto is second independent agency; Klick Health, Toronto is third.
#1 Network for creativity: Ogilvy, for gthe 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.
#1 Independent network for creativity: Serviceplan, for the second consecutive year. Rethink is second; Klick is third.
#1 Holding Company for creativity: WPP, for a fourth consecutive year with three networks in the top 50: Ogilvy and VML ranked first and third respectively, and AKQA in 28th.
Omnicom Group ranked second and Interpublic Group third, for their company performance prior to the merger.
#1 Brand for creativity: Heineken. 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 ever. 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.
Apple is in second place; McDonald’s is third. Vaseline is a new entrant to the top 50 this year, driven by its Vaseline Verified and Transition Body Lotion campaigns in Asia.
#1 Advertiser for creativity: Unilever, 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.
Anheuser-Busch InBev drops to second place; Heineken moves up to third.
#1 Country for creativity: USA, a rank it has held since 2006 (when the Creative 100 was the Gunn Report).
30 of the top 100 campaigns came from the USA, equal to 2025. The UK, in second place, generated 11 of the top 100 campaigns. Brazil moves up one place to claim third.
Amy Rodgers, head of content, WARC Creative, stated, “The WARC Creative 100 celebrates the multi-award-winning campaigns and companies that are shaping the future of the marketing industry by using the power of creativity as a driver of differentiation and change. It’s a time to reflect on great work and the creative minds behind the campaigns, and be inspired by these successes.”
The top ten most highly ranked campaigns and companies in the WARC Rankings Creative 100 2026 are:
