Observed Signal · Jul 23, 2026 · Rankings Update · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Ogilvy and WPP Lead Mid-Year Creative Rankings
The Drum's mid-year World Creative Rankings leaderboards show Ogilvy retaining the top network spot and WPP holding first among holding companies at the halfway point of 2026. Significant climbs include Leo Constellation (to third) and LePub (to fourth) in the network table, while Publicis Groupe and Havas have moved up in the holding company standings. The tables are provisional, reflecting awards counted so far; The Drum analysed 1,059 campaigns from 691 advertisers working with 606 agencies. The publisher plans to release the full annual World Creative Rankings in late 2026, moving the final tables closer to real time.
Mid-year creative rankings are useful for tracking awards momentum and agency/holding company positions but do not constitute industry-shifting platform, policy, or technical changes.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Ogilvy remains the leading agency network at mid-year 2026.
- WPP retains first place in the holding company mid-year leaderboard.
- Leo Constellation climbed from 10th to 3rd in the mid-year network rankings.
- LePub rose from 9th to 4th in the network table.
- The Drum analysed 1,059 campaigns from 691 advertisers and 606 agencies for the mid-year report.
Connected Companies & Entities
14 Entities mapped“Ogilvy remains the leading agency network for creative awards success, ahead of VML in second....”
“Ogilvy and WPP have retained first place in their respective World Creative Rankings tables at the halfway point of 2026...”
“Ogilvy remains the leading agency network for creative awards success, ahead of VML in second....”
“Publicis Groupe moves up one place to third, although the change owes much to a reshaped holding company landscape....”
“Havas also gains a place, rising to fourth....”
“WPP and Omnicom continue to occupy the top two positions, but Publicis Groupe and Havas have both gained ground, rising to third and fourth,...”
“Accenture completes the top five, advancing from seventh....”
“BBDO and DDB... have slipped to seventh and eighth, respectively, although both remain represented by strongly performing work....”
“BBDO and DDB... have slipped to seventh and eighth, respectively, although both remain represented by strongly performing work....”
“That success has been reinforced by work including Dove’s ‘Dove R/Eal Reviews,’ Coca-Cola’s ‘Shades of Red’ and ‘You Must Love Coke,’ and Kr...”
“Globant rises three places to sixth, while Dentsu Group slips one position to seventh....”
“Chime Communications falls to 10th, while S4 Capital rises one place to 11th....”
“Hakuhodo DY moves from 10th to eighth and Stagwell enters the top 10 after climbing two places....”
“IPG, which placed third in the most recent annual rankings, is no longer listed separately following its acquisition by Omnicom....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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World Creative Rankings: 2026 Mid‑Year Leaders Revealed
The Drum published its World Creative Rankings mid-year leaderboards on July 21, 2026, highlighting the agencies, advertisers, holding companies, networks and campaigns leading the global awards circuit at the halfway point of 2026. The Drum analyzed 1,059 campaigns from 691 advertisers working with 606 agencies to compile the report. Mid-week follow-ups release advertiser, holding company/network and campaign leaderboards on July 22–24. The Drum also said it will publish the complete annual World Creative Rankings earlier than usual — targeting late 2026 rather than the following February — and listed the awards included across Majors, Regional and Local categories.
VML New York Tops Mid‑Year World Creative Rankings
The Drum's mid-year World Creative Rankings leaderboard places VML New York provisional number one at the halfway point of 2026, after the agency climbed from eighth in the previous annual rankings. Ogilvy Singapore is second and Rethink Toronto third. Uncommon Creative Studio London made the largest leap, rising from 180th to fourth, driven by multiple awarded campaigns. The Drum analysed 1,059 campaigns from 691 advertisers working with 606 agencies to produce the mid-year report. Rankings remain provisional with further awards still to be decided; The Drum plans to publish the complete annual World Creative Rankings targeted for late 2026 rather than the usual February release.
Vaseline Tops Mid-Year World Creative Advertiser Rankings
The Drum’s World Creative Rankings Mid-Year reports a reshaped advertiser leaderboard led by Ogilvy Singapore’s 'Vaseline Verified', which propelled Vaseline from 13th to 1st after recognition across major awards. Ikea climbed to 2nd and Apple held 3rd while Heineken fell to 4th and Tecate surged to 5th. At the campaign level LePub Mexico City’s 'Gulf of Mexico (Bar)' for Tecate ranks second and FCB Chicago’s 'Caption with Intention' for Chicago Hearing Society is third. The mid-year analysis covered 1,059 campaigns from 691 advertisers working with 606 agencies. The Drum says standings remain provisional as further awards are decided and plans to publish the full annual World Creative Rankings earlier than usual, targeting late 2026 for the final tables.
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