DDB Worldwide named Network of the Year and WPP takes out Creative Company of the Year at final awards show of Cannes Lions 2025
At the final award show of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity the Special Awards were announced. In a major coup DDB Worldwide was named Network of the Year. It is the second time in three years that DDB has achieved this feat.
Since Cannes Lions 2007 BBDO and Ogilvy has each won this accolade 7 times. Other winners since then have been McCann (2019), FCB (2020/21) and DDB (2023).
2025 Network of the Year
1. DDB Worldwide
2. Ogilvy
3. FCB
2025 Creative Company of the Year
1. WPP
2. Omnicom
3. Interpublic Group
2025 Independent Network of the Year
1. Serviceplan Agenturgruppe
2. Rethink
3. Wieden+Kennedy
2025 Agency of the Year
1. Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
2. Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo, Brazil
3. FCB Chicago, United States
2025 Independent Agency of the Year
1. Serviceplan, Munich, Germany
2. Rethink, Toronto, Canada
3. Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, Sydney, Australia
2025 Palme d’Or
1. Revolver, Australia
2. Iconoclast, United States
3. Biscuit Filmworks, United Kingdom
2025 Creative Brand of the Year
1. AXA
2. Dove
3. Vaseline
2025 Agency of the Year by Track
– Agency of the Year | Classic: Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo, Brazil
– Agency of the Year | Craft: FCB Chicago, United States
– Agency of the Year | Engagement: GUT, São Paulo, Brazil
– Agency of the Year | Entertainment: DAVID, New York, United States
– Agency of the Year | Experience: DM9, São Paulo, Brazil
– Agency of the Year | Good: Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo, Brazil
– Agency of the Year | Health: =1 Ogilvy, Shanghai, Mainland China and Ogilvy, Singapore, Singapore
– Agency of the Year | Strategy: Ogilvy UK, London, United Kingdom
2025 Independent Agency of the Year by Track
– Independent Agency of the Year | Classic: Serviceplan, Munich, Germany
– Independent Agency of the Year | Craft: Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, Sydney, Australia
– Independent Agency of the Year | Engagement: Rethink, Toronto, Canada
– Independent Agency of the Year | Entertainment: BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
– Independent Agency of the Year | Experience: Serviceplan, Munich, Germany
– Independent Agency of the Year | Good: =1 L&C, New York, United States and Serviceplan, Munich, Germany
– Independent Agency of the Year | Health: Artplan, São Paulo, Brazil
– Independent Agency of the Year | Strategy: Rethink, Toronto, Canada
For DDB Worldwide this marks the second time the network has secured the Network of the Year, following its historic first win in 2023. In a record-breaking year, DDB surpassed its 2023 award tally with a total of 112 Lions.
DDB’s continued rise comes just one year into the leadership of Global CEO Alex Lubar and President & Global Chief Creative Officer, Chaka Sobhani. Since taking the reins, the duo has steered the network into a new era; one defined by tighter integration, emotionally-led creativity, and a sharpened focus on work that delivers both cultural impact and real business results.
Chaka Sobhani commented: “I literally don’t have the words. This means the absolute world to us. I couldn’t be prouder of our DDB network and the passion, commitment, and love that has gone behind us getting here. A huge thank you also to our amazing clients for their trust and partnership – we wouldn’t be here without you and I hope we’ve made you proud. Hopefully, this is the start of much more to come from DDB – and on a personal note, I can only say it’s been the most incredible first year!”
“2023 was a landmark year for DDB, but we saw it as the beginning,” said Alex Lubar. “The momentum you’re seeing now is the result of a global network aligned around a simple belief: creativity is the most powerful force in business. I’m incredibly proud of our exceptional teams and client partners on this collective effort.”
2025 Cannes Lions highlights:
Regional Network of the Year – Latin America
Regional Network of the Year – Pacific
Classic Track Agency of the Year – Africa Creative DDB
Good Track Agency of the Year – Africa Creative DDB
Experience Track Agency of the Year – DM9
Africa Creative DDB is the 1st ranked agency in Brazil, 2nd in Agency of the Year
The first time DDB won four Grands Prix across different brands since 2016, including:
Audio & Radio: “One Second Ads” (Budweiser, Africa Creative DDB)
Music: “Tracking Bad Bunny” (Rimas Entertainment, DDB Latina Puerto Rico)
Creative Data: “Efficient Way to Pay” (Consul, DM9)
Sustainable Development Goals: “The Amazon Greenventory” (Natura, Africa Creative DDB)
DDB’s Lion haul is 20 total Gold Lions, 37 Silver Lions, 51 Bronze Lions and 320 shortlists
Across the festival, WPP agencies collected an impressive haul of 168 Lions – including a Titanium Lion, 10 Grand Prix including a Glass Lion for Change, 23 Gold, 53 Silver and 81 Bronze Lions – with winning entries representing creative talent and client partnerships from across the world. Mindshare’s Grand Prix for Media also marked the first time a media agency has been the sole recipient of the award since 2018.
The Grand Prix-winning campaigns in particular showcased WPP’s ability to deliver innovative approaches to audience engagement, deep cultural relevance and pioneering, responsible applications of technologies such as AI.
Combating misinformation, Ogilvy’s Vaseline Verified for Unilever earned a Titanium Lion – the first in Singapore’s history – and two Grand Prix: for Social & Creator and Health & Wellness. The campaign transformed user-generated hacks on social platforms into scientifically validated content, debunking myths, reinforcing Vaseline’s “Wonder Jelly” status and generating huge social engagement. DAVID’s Haaland Payback Time for Supercell, an example of truly innovative engagement, won the Grand Prix in Entertainment Lions for Sport. The campaign brought footballer Erling Haaland into the Clash of Clans gaming universe, uniquely targeting his “haters” by letting them raid his in-game village. VML’s equally novel Preserved Promos for Ziploc secured the Grand Prix for Creative Commerce. In response to the cost-of-living crisis, Ziploc helped shoppers extend promotional codes by allowing them to upload expired offers and receive a discount on their next food purchase when including Ziploc products.
Leading with responsible AI, Mindshare’s Real Beauty Redefined for the AI Era for Dove won the Grand Prix for Media. This campaign launched “Real Beauty DNA” on Pinterest, allowing users to define diverse beauty, thereby retraining the platform’s AI to champion inclusive beauty and reinforcing Dove’s iconic Real Beauty brand platform in the AI age. This was only the latest articulation of Dove’s 20-year-old Real Beauty initiative, which received a Glass Lion for Change and a Grand Prix for Creative Strategy thanks to Ogilvy’s work to transform a humble soap brand into a global platform for self-esteem. Dove’s iconic campaigns in partnership with Ogilvy have challenged unrealistic beauty standards through inspiring, impactful, viral content, empowered 94 million children with self-esteem training, and over the last two decades transformed Dove into a $7.5 billion global powerhouse.
WPP’s commitment to new solutions for global challenges was also recognised with AKQA’s work for the Museum of the United Nations – UN Live – and Spotify, with the Sounds Right campaign earning the Grand Prix for Innovation. This initiative turned nature into an official artist to fund conservation, integrating ecosystem sounds into music tracks and crediting “NATURE” alongside major artists like David Bowie, Ellie Goulding and V of BTS.
Delivering huge cultural impact, VML and OpenMind also secured the first Grand Prix in the Czech Republic’s history at Cannes Lions in the Outdoor category with KitKat’s Phone Break. The campaign replaced smartphones with KitKat bars in outdoor visuals, revitalising the “Have a break, have a KitKat” tagline first coined by J. Walter Thompson copywriter Donald Gilles in 1957. Similarly, Ogilvy’s Make Love Last for Viatris won the Grand Prix for Pharma, based on an unbranded art project using time-lapse photography of real couples to subtly address intimacy in China.
Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “Our success at Cannes Lions is a tribute to the extraordinary talent and passion of our people worldwide, and to the clients who entrust us with their brands. It’s also a powerful statement about the central role of creative and media excellence in building brands, shaping culture and driving growth, a principle at the heart of WPP and one I’m very proud to see recognised today. Winning Creative Company of the Year is always a huge honour, but celebrating this achievement with our brilliant people at my last Cannes as CEO makes it doubly special. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who made it happen.”
Rob Reilly, Global Chief Creative Officer of WPP, said: “In a world increasingly shaped by AI, authentic human creativity with integrity commands a growing premium. This year’s winners from across WPP brilliantly showcase how our agencies are owning innovation and technology, not to replace creativity, but to amplify it, solve complex challenges for brands, and connect with audiences in more meaningful ways. Congratulations to all our teams and fearless clients for these outstanding results.”