Special Award Lions 2025: WPP Wins Creative Company Prize

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity named WPP as Creative Company of the Year for 2025.

Having won 168 honours including a Titanium award with Ogilvy’s Vaseline Verified for Unilever, the agency holding company, whose CEO Mark Read has announced his plans to step down at the end of the year, reigned victorious with the top prize.

“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," said Read.

Creative Company of the Year

1. WPP
2. Omnicom
3. Interpublic Group

Network of the Year

1. DDB Worldwide
2. Ogilvy
3. FCB

Independent Network of the Year

1. Serviceplan Agenturgruppe
2. Rethink
3. Wieden+Kennedy

Agency of the Year

1. Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
2. Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo, Brazil
3. FCB Chicago, United States

Independent Agency of the Year

1. Serviceplan, Munich, Germany
2. Rethink, Toronto, Canada
3. Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, Sydney, Australia

Palme d'Or

1. Revolver, Australia
2. Iconoclast, United States
3. Biscuit Filmworks, United Kingdom

Creative Brand of the Year

1. AXA
2. Dove
3. Vaseline

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

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

Grand Prix For Good

Elsewhere, the Jury awarded the Grand Prix for Good to ‘The Best Place In The World To Have Herpes’, for New Zealand Herpes Foundation, by FINCH, Sydney / Motion Sickness, Auckland / NZ Herpes Foundation, Auckland.

Judy John, global chief creative officer, Edelman, Global, and Jury President, said: “Brave, outrageously creative, wildly ambitious and educational are not the usual combination of words you will find to describe the Grand Prix for Good. The title of the campaign ‘Make New Zealand the Best Place to have Herpes’ by The New Zealand Herpes Foundation says it all. Often overlooked, this campaign played into their national pride, to unite the county in eliminating the herpes stigma as a way to restore our self-esteem, reclaim international glory, and boost patriotism.”

Sustainable Development Goals Lions

16 Lions were awarded in this category with the Grand Prix, awarded to ‘The Amazon Greenventory’, for NATURA, by Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo.

Josy Paul, Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, and Jury President, commented: “Good work informs. Great work transforms. That’s exactly what the SDG Jury saw in Natura’s ‘Amazon Greenventory’. It wasn’t just impressive, it was transformational. This groundbreaking initiative challenged the belief that profit in the Amazon must come at the cost of deforestation. A powerful demonstration that sustainable profit can come from innovation, not destruction. It’s work that doesn’t just create impressions but leaves a lasting impression on the world.”

Glass: The Lion for Change

Eight Lions were awarded in this section, with the Grand Prix going to ‘Real Beauty: How a Soap Brand Created a Global Self-Esteem Movement’ for Dove by Ogilvy UK, London.

Jury President KR Liu, Global Head of Product Innovation and Marketing Partnerships for Platforms and Devices, Google, said: “This year’s Grand Prix winner was selected because it moved beyond awareness to deliver consistent, measurable, societal impact. It showed what’s possible when creative brand storytelling is backed by community partnership and deep cultural understanding. In a field full of strong contenders, this work stood out for its continuous impact and commitment – not just as a campaign, but as a catalyst for real change for women and all aspects of the multiple communities they represent.”

Stay tuned to find out what else has won at this year's awards and keep up to date with our Cannes Lions 2025 coverage.