World Creative Rankings: the 200 most-awarded ad campaigns of the last 12 months
The World Creative Rankings, in partnership with Twitch, is the definitive guide to advertising's most creative brands, agencies and people. In the first in a two-week series of dives into this year's data, here we reveal the 200 most awarded ad campaigns of 2021.
Mastercard’s ‘True Name’ campaign was one of the most lauded of the last year
The top 200 campaigns of the year list is compiled by analyzing the combined results of 21 of the industry's biggest global awards shows. This year that meant our researchers pored over some 2,472 campaigns from 1,657 clients working with 1,220 agencies around the world. You can the full methodology in our World Creative Rankings launch article.
Over the next two weeks, our countdowns will continue as we also reveal which brands, agencies and people performed best across 2021's awards shows. Members of The Drum Plus will have complete instant access to all of our lists from the moment they go live.
Look out for more on the top campaigns, including interviews with the creative minds behind the work, on thedrum.com in the coming weeks.
The top 200 most awarded ad campaigns of the last 12 months
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donation Dollar | Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne | Royal Australian Mint |
| 2 | Moldy Whopper | David Miami/Ingo Stockholm/Publicis Bucharest | Burger King |
| 3 | Eurythenes Plasticus | BBDO Berlin | WWF |
| 4 | True Name | McCann New York | Mastercard |
| 5 | The Uncensored Library | DDB Germany Berlin | Reporters Without Borders |
| 6 | #Wombstories | AMV BBDO | Essity |
| 7 | Stevenage Challenge | David Madrid | Burger King |
| 8 | Courage Is Beautiful | Ogilvy Toronto/Ogilvy London | Unilever |
| 9= | Francesca | Publicis Italy | Diesel |
| 9= | Boards of Change | FCB Chicago | The City of Chicago |
| 11 | The Bread Exam | McCann Paris | Spinneys and the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation |
| 12 | TheDoomsday Vault | The Community Miami | Oreo |
| 13 | Festive | Riff Raff Films | Burberry |
| 14 | Michelob Ultra Courtside | FCB New York | Michelob |
| 15 | Enjoy Before Returning | Publicis Italy | Diesel |
| 16= | Sick Beats | Area 23 | Woojer |
| 16= | The Unfinished Votes | McCann Healthcare New York | Change the Ref |
| 18 | You Love Me | Translation New York | Beats by Dr Dre |
| 19 | Stay Home Miles Exchange | Wunderman Thompson Thailand | Thai Airways |
| 20 | #StillSpeakingUp | Publicis Mexico City | Propuesta Civica |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Life Needs Truth | Droga5 New York | The New York Times |
| 22 | Project Understood | FCB Toronto | Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) |
| 23 | Naming the invisible by Digital Birth Registration | Ogilvy Pakistan | Telenor |
| 24 | Contract for Change | FCB Chicago/FCB New York | ABInBev |
| 25 | Meltdown Flags | Serviceplan Munich | METER Group |
| 26= | Back to School Essentials | BBDO New York | Sandy Hook Promise |
| 26= | The Birth of Gaming Tourism | McCann London | Microsoft |
| 28 | Shutter Ads | Publicis Italy | Heineken |
| 29= | Crocodile Inside | BETC Paris | Lacoste |
| 29= | The Future Official Sponsors of the NWSL | VaynerMedia New York | ABInBev |
| 31 | The Hiring Chain | Small NY | Coordown |
| 32 | Tuna Scope | Dentsu Tokyo | Sojitz Corporation |
| 33 | Salla 2032 | Africa Sao Paulo | House of Lapland |
| 34 | Publicly Traded | FCB/SIX | LifeStyles |
| 35 | The New National Anthem Edition | Impact BBDO Dubai | An-Nahar |
| 36= | #Wombpainstories | AMV BBDO | Essity |
| 36= | The Punishing Signal | FCB Interface Mumbai | Mumbai Police India |
| 38 | Raising Profiles | FCB Inferno | The Big Issue |
| 39= | Nobody Is Normal | The Gate London | Childline |
| 39= | You Can't Stop Us | Wieden+Kennedy Portland | Nike |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41= | Superb Owl | R/GA Los Angeles | |
| 41= | Alone With Me | Spotify | Spotify |
| 43 | Please Arrest Me | Ogilvy Singapore | RIT Foundation |
| 44 | We will become better | Voskhod Creative | LGBT Network Russia |
| 45= | Let Her Run | Africa Sao Paulo | SporTV |
| 45= | Upstream | Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles | Toyota |
| 45= | Black Plaque Project | Havas London UK | Nubian Jak Community Trust |
| 48 | The 8-Bit Journo | Dentsu Webchutney India | Vice Media |
| 49= | The Gift | Dentsu Tokyo | Ezaki Glico (Pocky) |
| 49= | Buy with your time | Memac Ogilvy Dubai | Ikea |
| 51= | Play NZ | TBWA Sydney | Tourism New Zealand |
| 51= | A New Jingle For A New Era | Edelman New York | Unilever |
| 53 | Degree Inclusive | Wunderman Thompson Buenos Aires | Unilever |
| 54 | Village Electrique | Publicis Conseil Paris | Renault |
| 55 | Swipe Night | 72andSunny Los Angeles | Tinder |
| 56 | The Met Unframed | 140 Agency US | Verizon |
| 57= | Up The Vote | R/GA San Francisco | |
| 57= | Whatever It Takes | AMV BBDO | Macmillan Cancer Support |
| 59 | VAR Discount | Nord DDB | Elkjop |
| 60 | The Isolated Cinema | Stendahls | Goteborg International Film Festival |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Saylists | Rothco|Accenture Interactive | Warner Music |
| 62= | The Look | Saturday Morning LA | Procter & Gamble (P&G) |
| 62= | Shop Unfriend | Wolf BKK | Central Department Store |
| 64 | The Eventful Life Of Rosemarie | CRK | Curaviva |
| 65= | Shot on iPhone-Vertical Cinema | TBWA\Media Arts Lab LA | Apple |
| 65= | Chicken Wars | GSD&M Austin | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen |
| 65= | Drowned Requiem | FischerAppelt Germany | United4Rescue |
| 68= | Super Wendy's World | VMLY&R Kansas City | Wendy's |
| 68= | Now, Words Aren't Just Heard, But Felt. | Cheil India | Samsung |
| 68= | Two Monsters in my Story | Publicis Conseil Paris | Face a l'Inceste |
| 68= | ABC's Of Survival | The Bloc | NBCDI |
| 68= | #EndViolence | BBDO Berlin | Unicef |
| 73= | The Call | The Bloc | EmpowHer NY |
| 73= | Tallk | Cheil Spain Madrid | Samsung |
| 75= | Mother Blanket | Ogilvy Colombia | Asociacion Vivir |
| 75= | Tienda Cerca | Draftline | Tienda cerca |
| 75= | Confusing Times | David Madrid | Burger King |
| 78= | Uni-form | Ogilvy Taiwan | Vogue Fashion |
| 78= | Heinz Ketchup Puzzle | Rethink | Kraft Heinz |
| 80= | Purple hive Project | Thinkerbell | Bega Foods |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80= | Printed by Parkinson's | Innocean Worldwide Berlin | Charite University Hospital |
| 80= | Your Plastic Diet | Grey Malaysia | WWF |
| 83= | Playlist Timer | Publicis Italy | Barilla |
| 83= | Pedestal Project | BBDO New York | Color of Change |
| 83= | SickKids Airbnb | No Fixed Address Toronto | SickKids Foundation |
| 86= | Anticorruption Hackathon by Znamkamarada | WMC Grey Prague | Znamkamarada |
| 86= | The Prescription Paper Pill Bottle | Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness | Tikkun Olam Makers |
| 86= | We Deliver | Leo Burnett London | McDonald's |
| 86= | The Parents | Forsman & Bodenfors Gothenburg | Volvo |
| 90 | Minimalism | Serviceplan Munich | Mini |
| 91= | That Look From Popeyes | Gut Agency | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen |
| 91= | H&M Looop | AKQA Sweden | H&M |
| 93= | UndercoverAvatar | Havas Sports & Entertainment France | Enfant Bleu |
| 93= | McDo | Nord DDB | McDonald's |
| 93= | Secret Menu | Ogilvy Sydney | KFC |
| 96= | Bonds out now | Leo Burnett Melbourne | Bonds |
| 96= | Double Moon | Mullenlowe Dubai | The UAE Government Media Office |
| 96= | Sperm Positive | DDB Group New Zealand | New Zealand AIDS Foundation |
| 96= | Your Way, Way Better | Jones Knowles Ritchie New York | Burger King |
| 100= | Hell-P | Kolle Rebbe Hamburg | Warner Music |
(101-120)
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100= | Skindeep | The Bloc | EmpowHer NY |
| 100= | The Match of Ages | We Believers New York | ABInBev |
| 100= | Tipping Point | DDB Paris | Ubisoft |
| 100= | Unbreakable | Area 23 | Insmed |
| 100= | Migrants on Amazon | BETC Paris | Auberge des Migrants |
| 100= | The CO2 Inhaler | McCann Health New York | AstraZeneca |
| 100= | Run. For. Life. (Zimbabwe/Vietnam) | Arnold Worldwide Boston | Brazilian Red Cross |
| 108= | Microcodes | Che Proximity Melbourne | Samsung |
| 108= | Instant Doctor | The Bloc | Tribute |
| 108= | Laundry Night | Saatchi & Saatchi NY | Procter & Gamble (P&G) |
| 111= | Waterlight | Wunderman Thompson Bogota | Edina Energy |
| 111= | Pooja Didi | Taproot Dentsu | Meta |
| 111= | The Tampon Book | Scholz & Friends Berlin | The Female Company |
| 114= | The Last Older Person To Die In Loneliness | LLYC | BBK Foundation |
| 114= | The Most Valuable News | Africa Sao Paulo | Folha De Sao Paulo |
| 114= | Play Connected | Adam&Eve/DDB | Adidas |
| 117 | Water Index | Havas Istanbul Turkey | Reckitt Benckiser |
| 118= | Victoria 1.8 | Ogilvy Mexico City | ABInBev |
| 118= | Now That You Mention Us | VMLY&R Kansas City | Wendy's |
| 118= | Parkscapes | BBDO Canada | Regent Park School of Music |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 118= | Radio Recliner | Luckie Atlanta | Bridge Senior Living |
| 118= | Fantastic Voyage | 72andSunny Los Angeles | Adobe |
| 123= | The 2030 Calculator | Farm Stockholm | Doconomy |
| 123= | Cold Tracker | Promise Johannesburg | ABInBev |
| 125= | Unscripted | Wunderman Thompson London | BT |
| 125= | The Illegal Blood Bank | Elvis | LadBible Group |
| 125= | Good Morning World | Special Group Auckland | Tourism New Zealand |
| 125= | Day 28/32/33/35 | David Miami/Ingo Stockholm/Publicis Bucharest | Burger King |
| 129= | Sloways | Che Proximity Melbourne | NRMA Insurance |
| 129= | Shift+K+F+C | TBWA\Raad Dubai | KFC |
| 129= | Invisible Petitions | TBWA\Istanbul | We Will Stop Femicide |
| 129= | Michelin Impossible | Ogilvy Sydney | KFC |
| 133= | Hershe 2021 | BETC Sao Paulo | Hershey's |
| 133= | Code of Conscience | AKQA Sao Paulo | Raoni Institute |
| 133= | Just a Wall | Rosapark Paris | Innocence en Danger |
| 133= | #LaborDayOn | Droga5 New York | Red Wing Shoes |
| 133= | Liquid Billboard | Havas Middle East | Adidas |
| 133= | SickKids VS: This Is Why | Cossette | SickKids Foundation |
| 133= | Let’s Talk The Joy of Later Life Sex | Ogilvy London | Relate |
| 140= | I Am | VMLY&R Brazil | Starbucks |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140= | A Future Without Change | VMLY&R Melbourne | Monash University |
| 140= | Lolli: The Exhibit Nobody Wants to Talk About | No Fixed Address Toronto | Canadian Centre for Child Protection |
| 140= | Through your eyes | Wunderman Thompson Buenos Aires | Sony Music |
| 140= | The Most CO2-Friendly Route | Hasan & Partners Helsinki | Neste Oyj |
| 140= | Out and Proud Classified | FCBUlka Mumbai | The Times of India News Paper |
| 146= | Blood Unity | FP7 McCann Dubai | Donner Sang Compter |
| 146= | Take Care | DocMorris Inhouse | DocMorris Apotheke |
| 146= | Smile always find a way | VMLY&R Paris | Colgate |
| 146= | A Dad's Job | FP7 McCann Dubai | Home Centre |
| 146= | Cites | Herezie Paris | Amazon Prime Video |
| 151 | Flavor of Home | Hakuhodo Jakarta Indonesia | Sushi Sei |
| 152= | Starr Park | Wieden+Kennedy New York | Brawl Stars |
| 152= | Stray Sheep Code | Six Tokyo | Sony Music |
| 152= | Blame No more | TBWA\Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg | Hype Magazine & Tears Foundation |
| 152= | The Small Escape | Jung Von Matt Hamburg | BMW |
| 152= | Signal for Help | Juniper Park \ TBWA | Canadian Women's Foundation |
| 152= | #Stopthebeautytest | Ogilvy Mumbai | Unilever (Dove) |
| 152= | Bee_Influencer | Publicis Conseil Paris | Fondation De France |
| 152= | Terms Against Bullying | White Rabbit Budapest Hungary | Terms Against Bullying |
| 160= | The HY Project | The Electric Factory | Toyota |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160= | BK Cows Menu Music Video | We Believers New York | Burger King |
| 160= | Pour Perfectly | Rethink | Kraft Heinz |
| 160= | The Artist | Ogilvy Mumbai | ITC Savlon |
| 160= | Unboxing | FCB&FiRe Madrid | Netflix |
| 160= | Coca-Cola - Open Like Never Before | 72andSunny Amsterdam | Coca-Cola |
| 160= | For Your Consideration | Saatchi & Saatchi NY | Women in Film |
| 167= | The Lost Class | Leo Burnett Chicago | Change the Ref |
| 167= | Roadsisde Market | McCann Bucharest | Mastercard |
| 167= | Braun x Formosa Chang | Uni-Surf Digital Marketing Taipei | Braun |
| 167= | Chief & NWHM Glass Ceiling Breaker | BBH New York | Chief |
| 167= | Maurice & The Black Bear School | Droga5 New York | Diageo |
| 167= | Creativity is Essential | AMV BBDO | Bombay Sapphire Gin |
| 167= | Uber Heetch | Marcel Paris | Heetch |
| 174= | Tough Turban | Zulu Alpha Kilo | Harley-Davidson |
| 174= | Pizza Hut x Ikea Sava | Ogilvy Hong Kong | Pizza Hut |
| 174= | Happy birthday, Twitter | No Fixed Address Toronto | Canadian Centre for Child Protection |
| 174= | A Hard Pill To Swallow | Akestam Holst | Apotek Hjartat |
| 178= | Protectset | Mullenlowe Dubai | Mobily |
| 178= | The Inevitable News | Area 23 | Columbia Journalism Review |
| 178= | Addresspollution.org | AMV BBDO | Central Office for Public Interest |
| Rank | Campaign | Agency | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 178= | The Clean Jersey Swap | Saatchi & Saatchi NY | Procter & Gamble (P&G) |
| 178= | If You're Outdoors, You Need To Protect Yourself | McCann Lima | League Against Cancer |
| 178= | The Beer Cap Project | MullenLowe SSP3 Bogota | ABInBev |
| 178= | The Man Who Couldn't Handle His Handle | Wunderman Thompson Riyadh | Saudi Telecom Company |
| 178= | San Francisco Symphony | Collins New York | San Francisco Symphony |
| 178= | #Stealourstaff | TBWA\London | Beco |
| 178= | Meddle in the New Zealand Election | Special Group Auckland | Every Kiwi Vote Counts |
| 178= | AirPods - Bounce | TBWA\Media Arts Lab LA | Apple |
| 178= | Messi 644 | Deutsch New York | ABInBev |
| 190= | Dante's Heartbeats | Abby Priest Stockholm | Hjartebarnsfonden (The Swedish Heartchild Foundation) |
| 190= | Volvo - Lifesaver | Ogilvy Amsterdam | Volvo |
| 190= | Lost Roads | Commonwealth//McCann Bogota | Chevrolet |
| 190= | Second Life | Geometry Ogilvy Japan | IBM |
| 190= | Warning Spots | Ogilvy Melbourne | AAMI Melbourne |
| 190= | A Career Limiting Campaign | Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland NZ | Global Women |
| 190= | Boring Heroes | McCann New York | Reckitt Benckiser |
| 197= | The World's Tallest Donation Box | Mullenlowe Dubai | The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives |
| 197= | Daddy! Daddy! Look at me! | Boys + Girls | Swim Ireland |
| 197= | The Long Goodbye | Somesuch London | Riz Ahmed |
| 197= | #FreeCuthbert | McCann Manchester | Aldi |
Methodology
The Drum’s World Creative Rankings measure on the performance of campaigns, agencies and individuals in industry awards shows around the world as a proxy for critical reception.
Though our sample is based on a snapshot of the last twelve months, some of the campaigns included will have already ran prior to those twelve months – and because some awards schemes postponed ceremonies and announcements by several months during the pandemic, some of the winning work included in our sample ran in 2020 or 2019, but won recognition in 2021 – which is why campaigns such as ‘Wombstories’ and ‘Moldy Whopper’ charted high in both this year’s and last year’s rankings.
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