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OgilvyOne Mumbai and OMD HK lead Asia in rankings of world’s ‘smartest’ agencies

OgilvyOne Mumbai and OMD Hong Kong are the top-ranking Asian agencies in Warc’s rankings of the world’s best strategic thinkers, as measured by wins at effectiveness awards shows.

The Indian agency emerged fifth in a list of the ‘smartest’ digital agencies by the ad industry research body, while OMD Hong Kong was ranked fourth in a table for effectiveness awards-winning media agencies.

New Zealand agency Colenso BBDO topped a ranking of the most strategically minded creative agencies, which also featured Australia’s Whybin\TBWA. One of Colenso’s most awarded campaigns was for Tip Top ice cream.

Colenso’s sister agency Proximity New Zealand came top of the table for digital agencies.

The rankings were based on 1700 winners in 75 different competitions worldwide.

In the top 20 list of the ‘smartest creative agencies in the world’, BBDO China is ranked seventh. Also featured are DDB Hong Kong (10th), creator of Dumb Ways to Die McCann Melbourne (17th), DDB New Zealand and BBDO Guerrero of the Philippines, which produced the ‘Labels against women’ viral for Pantene.

In the media agencies category, PHD Shanghai was the only Asian agency to feature in the top 20.

There was a better showing for Asia in the digital agency ranking, with Socialab Amber Communications, Proximity and Neo@Ogilvy – all Beijing agencies – among the world’s 20 most awarded for digital strategy.

The top-ranking network and holding company was BBDO and Omnicom, respectively, ahead of Ogilvy and WPP.

David Tiltman, head of content at Warc, said the rankings gave adland a new benchmark for agency performance “based on real campaign results.”

“These rankings showcase the agencies that are really making a difference to their clients’ businesses,” he said.

The list in full:

The top 5 creative agencies in the Warc 100:

Agency | Location | Points

  1. Colenso BBDO New Zealand 115.2
  2. AMV BBDO UK 103.4
  3. JWT Cairo Egypt 101.6
  4. Ogilvy & Mather New York US 95.1
  5. Whybin\TBWA Australia 91.9

The top 5 media agencies in the Warc 100:

Agency | Location | Points

  1. Starcom Chicago US 118.7
  2. OMD UK UK 71.5
  3. MediaVest New York US 56.3
  4. OMD Hong Kong 46.7
  5. OMD New York US 46.1

The top 5 digital agencies in the Warc 100:

Agency | Location | Points

  1. Proximity New Zealand New Zealand 96.3
  2. Digitas New York US 86.7
  3. OgilvyOne London UK 52.1
  4. Arc Chicago US 47.8
  5. OgilvyOne Mumbai India 40.0

The top 5 agency networks in the Warc 100:

Network (Holding company) | Points

  1. BBDO Worldwide (Omnicom Group) 1232.9
  2. Ogilvy & Mather (WPP) 1164.1
  3. DDB Worldwide (Omnicom Group) 743.9
  4. TBWA Worldwide (Omnicom Group) 527.2
  5. McCann Erickson (Interpublic Group) 514.1

The top 5 agency holding companies in the Warc 100:

Holding company | Points

  1. Omnicom Group 3520.4
  2. WPP 3480.9
  3. Publicis Groupe 1889.6
  4. Interpublic Group 1731.2
  5. Havas 401.0

To compile the rankings, points were assigned based on the awards won (Gold, Silver or Bronze), then weighted based on the competition’s “rigour and prestige” in the global industry. Warc worked with Professor Douglas West, Professor of Marketing at King’s College London, to produce the research.

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