WPP, DDB and Publicis Conseil win creative company, network and agency of year at Cannes Lions 2025

Winners announced on final night at Palais.

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WPP scoops creative company of the year at Cannes Lions

WPP won creative company of the year at Cannes Lions 2025 — with outgoing chief executive Mark Read leading his team onto the stage to receive the award at the Palais.

It was the second year in a row that WPP claimed the crown for most creative company, based on awards won during the five-day festival, and it comes less than two weeks after Read announced he was stepping down after seven years.

WPP agencies won 168 Lions, including 10 Grand Prix awards, 23 Golds, 53 Silvers and 81 Bronzes.

DDB Worldwide won global network of the year, reclaiming the title after WPP’s Ogilvy won it last year. The Omnicom-owned network won more than 100 Lions.

Publicis Conseil won agency of the year for the second year in a row. The Paris-based agency, which was founded in 1926, had previously never won agency of the year at Cannes Lions.

Read 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.”

Omnicom was ranked the second most creative company and Interpublic, which is set to complete its sale to Omnicom later this year, came third.

Alex Lubar, global chief executive of DDB, and Chaka Sobhani, president and global chief creative officer, went on stage to accept the award. Ogilvy came second and FCB third.

In addition to its creative network win for DDB, Omnicom’s OMD won media network of the year earlier in the week.

John Wren, the chairman and chief executive of Omnicom, said: “I’m very proud of the work our agencies put forward this year, especially DDB and OMD who came out on top in their respective network categories.

“Excelling in both the creative and media categories is a testament to the end-to-end services we provide to our clients at Omnicom. I want to congratulate all the teams who contributed to award-winning work and our leading position in the industry.”

Publicis Conseil’s agency of the year awards haul included a Grand Prix and a Titanium for Axa’s “Three Words” — the first time that French parent company Publicis Groupe has won the coveted Titanium award that recognises “game-changing creativity”. The Paris agency was also the first back-to-back winner of agency of the year since 2011, Cannes Lions said.

Marco Venturelli and Agathe Bousquet, the co-presidents of Publicis Conseil and respectively chief creative officer and president of Publicis France, said: “Last year’s AOTY in Cannes was the result of five years of transformation. This year it’s undeniable proof that creative excellence is part of who we are.

“It’s the result of our enduring commitment to putting creativity first and the consistency it takes to turn bold ideas into lasting impact, in service of our clients’ brands.

“Along with France’s first ever Titanium — and a Grand Prix at that — we’re making history in a ‘grand’ way.”

These are the company awards announced on the final evening of the Lions:

Creative Company of the Year

1. WPP

2. Omnicom

3. Interpublic Group

Network of the Year

1. DDB Worldwide

2. Ogilvy

3. FCB

Agency of the Year

1. Publicis Conseil, Paris, France