The WARC Effective 100 has been released, highlighting the work of big brands in creating value and putting fans at the centre of their campaigns. WARC totals the results of the most important global and regional effectiveness awards of 2025.
The shows tracked are determined in consultation with the WARC Rankings Advisory Board and by a yearly global panel survey.
WARC Effective 100
Amy Rodgers, Head of Content, WARC Creative, said: “The WARC Effective 100 Rankings are the pinnacle of marketing excellence, showcasing the campaigns and companies that have truly moved the needle and delivered measurable impact.”
“Setting new standards for effectiveness, they are an invaluable resource for the industry to learn from the very best, help embed a culture of effectiveness and drive future business growth.”
Three themes stand out
- Reach for good: The Effective 100 continues to highlight how big brands, such as Dove, Pedigree and Vaseline, with a large reach can both do good and create value for their businesses.
- Fans become central: Going further than speaking to customers in places where they spend time, brands in this year’s top 100, including Xbox, eos, and Whirlpool, brought fans into the centre of their campaigns, making authentic shareable content to boost attention and engagement.
- Effective AI use: The growth in use of AI in the marketing industry has been exponential in the last couple of years, and that is starting to come through in case studies for effectiveness, for such brands as O2, Volkswagen and An-Nahar.
The most awarded campaign for effectiveness of 2025 was ‘Real Beauty: How a Soap Brand Created a Global Self-Esteem Movement’ by Ogilvy London and Mindshare New York for Dove.
Over 20 years, the personal care brand’s iconic Real Beauty campaign has consistently continued to reshape global perceptions of beauty, evolving into a holistic brand platform now purchased by 37% of the world’s population.
In second place is ‘Caramelo: Brazil’s beloved mutt now has pedigree” by AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, for Pedigree.
The dog food brand transformed Brazil’s beloved Caramelo into an official breed, driving adoptions and bringing the brand’s purpose to life. The brand’s culturally rooted strategy drove a 23.3% increase in sales year-on-year.
Last year’s third-placed agency, AlmapBBDO São Paulo, tops the Effective creative agency ranking for the first time, with six campaigns in the top 100, including the Caramelo campaign for Pedigree.
Filipe Bartholomeu, President and CEO, AlmapBBDO, said: “Being recognised as the world’s most effective creative agency by WARC is an extremely proud achievement, that reflects our belief in creativity as the main driver of growth and results for our clients.”
“This recognition aligns with our core mission: to impact the world through brands by generating consistent and lasting growth for them.”
Top of the independents is Mischief @ No Fixed Address, New York, which has featured consistently in the top indie agencies for effectiveness in recent years. Its eos brand campaign is ranked seventh and 11 further campaigns across the full database contributed points.
Jeff McCrory, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner, at Mischief, said: “Mischief was founded on the belief that creativity, properly channelled and directed is the most powerful force in business.”
“Being ranked the number one most effective independent agency in the world feels like one hell of a proof point for this hypothesis.”
“Thank you to everyone at Mischief for delivering brilliance and to our clients for empowering us to strive for greatness.”
Starcom Chicago, second-placed last year, tops the effective media agency ranking this year. Whilst it has consistently been in the top ten, this is the first year it has taken the top spot since 2018.
Shelby Saville, CEO, Starcom US, said: “I am incredibly proud to see Starcom recognised at the top of the WARC Effective 100. This honour reflects the focus our teams bring to driving real business results for clients.”
“It’s a testament to the collaboration, creativity and care our people bring to every idea.”
The top three independent media agencies are all new to the top fifty for effectiveness. Streetwise, São Paulo was placed first, Media-tique, Bucharest second and Media1, Vienna third.
Ogilvy is the most awarded network for effectiveness for the fourth year in a row. The network has thirteen campaigns in the top 100. The network is behind the number one ranked campaign for Dove and has work for twelve different brands across the top hundred campaigns.
Mick McCabe, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Ogilvy, said: “To be recognised as number one, four years in a row is a testament to Ogilvy’s enduring culture of strategic thinking, that is vibrant and thriving all around the world, across every office and discipline.”
“Our gratitude to our clients for valuing, asking for and collaborating with us on bold strategic choices that make a difference — on their business and in the world.”
“And we cannot underestimate how much shared commitment, passion, resilience and talent it takes to do this day in and day out. It speaks volumes about our people and how they always rise to the occasion.”
The battle for top holding company for effectiveness continues this year with the pendulum swinging back in Omnicom Group’s favour.
With a margin of less than 200 points, the holdco was represented by nine different networks in the top 50, and a quarter of the top 100 campaigns.
McDonald’s has now been the most effective brand for seven years in a row, testament to its global reach and commitment to creative effectiveness transformation across its entire business.
The fast food retailer has two campaigns in the top 100, but its success is driven by the depth of wins across shows globally, with a further 66 campaigns in the full effective 100 database, from an impressive 29 different countries across the world.
Morgan Flatley, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Head of New Business Ventures, McDonald’s, said: “A recognition like this is never about one campaign or moment, it’s about years of our marketers around the world building something bigger together.”
“Seven years as WARC’s number one Most Effective Brand is a reminder – and motivation – of what’s possible when marketing creativity is a driver of business growth.”
Yili and Movistar are new entrants to the top 50 this year, through their Olympic Triumph and This is Not a Game campaigns respectively.
After a few years off the top spot, Unilever returns to first place in the Effective 100 this year, marking a hat-trick across the three rankings and the first advertiser to ever rank first for creativity, media and effectiveness in the same year.
The FMCG giant is represented by five campaigns in the top 100, and twenty nine different brands in the full Effective 100 database.
Leandro Barreto, Chief Marketing Officer, Unilever and Beauty & Wellbeing, said: “Achieving the number one ranking in Creative, Media and Effectiveness is an extraordinary validation of our marketing transformation.”
“Proof that purposeful creativity combined with world class media creates impact at scale. Creativity backed by rigour. Media powered by precision. Execution with discipline and reach. This is how we grow. “
“Congratulations to every team member, partner and co-creator who made this achievement possible.”