AB InBev claims the top advertiser spot once again, while Orange, L’Oréal, Molson Coors and the Digital Public Library of America round out the top five in The Drum’s annual benchmark of the industry’s most-awarded brands.
‘Dreamcaster,’ a campaign for Michelob Ultra by FCB New York
AB InBev has been named the most creatively awarded advertiser in global marketing as The Drum’s annual World Creative Rankings, the industry’s most comprehensive benchmark of the year’s top creative work, are revealed.
The beer giant secured the top spot thanks to ‘Dreamcaster,’ a campaign for Michelob Ultra by FCB New York, which revolutionized sports accessibility by enabling blind and visually impaired fans to follow live NBA games through haptics and sound.
The campaign dominated the awards circuit, winning three Grand Prix at The One Show, 14 Golds, 10 Silvers and six Bronzes, in addition to high honors at Cannes Lions, Clio Awards and D&AD. Its cultural impact, technological innovation and brand engagement made it a standout success.
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In second place is Orange, which made a powerful statement on gender equality in football with ‘Women’s Football,’ a campaign by Marcel Paris. The initiative used AI and VFX to disguise footage of women’s football as men’s, revealing how deeply ingrained biases shape public perception of the game. The campaign became one of the year’s most celebrated, earning a Black Pencil at D&AD, four Grand Prix at Clio, two Grand Prix at London International Awards, and multiple Golds at Cannes Lions, The One Show and Eurobest.
L’Oréal (CeraVe) takes the third spot with ‘Michael CeraVe,’ an internet-fueled Super Bowl conspiracy campaign by Ogilvy New York. The viral marketing stunt teased the idea that actor Michael Cera was behind the skincare brand, generating organic social media buzz before being revealed in a Super Bowl commercial. The campaign racked up three Grand Prix at the London International Awards, eight Golds at The One Show and a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, proving that influencer-driven storytelling can still break through on advertising’s biggest stage.
At number four, Molson Coors turned a baseball mishap into a marketing win with ‘Coors Lights Out,’ a campaign by Rethink. When Shohei Ohtani’s foul ball knocked out an LED panel in a Coors Light ad, the brand seized the moment by launching limited-edition cans featuring the blacked-out logo. The campaign earned Grand Prix at The One Show and Clio Awards, two Grand Prix at the London International Awards and Golds at Cannes Lions and D&AD.
Finally, rounding out the top five is the Digital Public Library of America, which made a bold political statement with ‘Banned Book Club,’ a campaign by FCB Chicago. As book bans surged across the US, the initiative used GPS-based geotargeting to provide free digital access to censored books, positioning the DPLA as a champion for intellectual freedom. The campaign won a Grand Prix at The One Show, multiple Golds at ADC US, Cannes Lions and Clio Awards.
The most awarded advertisers of 2025 reflect a blend of cultural activism, sports marketing innovation and viral storytelling.
Sports as a creative playground
‘Dreamcaster’ and ‘Coors Lights Out’ demonstrate how brands are leveraging real-time sports moments and accessibility innovation to engage audiences in unexpected ways.
Cause-driven marketing gains ground
‘Banned Book Club’ and ‘Women’s Football’ prove that brands taking strong social and political stances (on book bans and gender equality) are being rewarded with creative recognition and consumer trust.
The power of organic virality
‘Michael CeraVe’ and ‘Coors Lights Out’ exemplify how audience participation and unexpected brand storytelling can generate massive engagement without traditional ad spend.
As brands continue to lean into bold storytelling, cultural commentary and unexpected marketing moves, this year’s rankings highlight that creativity is thriving in every corner of the industry.
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The World Creative Rankings analyze the performance of thousands of creative campaigns across 24 major industry awards programs, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clio Awards and The Drum Awards Festival.
The 2025 edition is the most comprehensive yet, covering 2,460 campaigns from 1,653 advertisers working with 1,215 agencies worldwide.
It also assesses the industry’s leading talent, with 661 chief creative officers, 839 executive creative directors, 2,692 creative directors, 1,615 copywriters and 2,027 art directors from 77 countries.
Each award win is weighted according to whether it is part of a domestic, continental, or global awards program. Points are assigned for Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze wins, with adjustments made for alternative prize structures.
These points are then allocated to campaigns, agencies, advertisers, and individual creatives, ensuring a complete view of the year’s most awarded work.
The World Creative Rankings rely on official credits data for each awarded entry, making them the industry’s definitive benchmark for creative success.
To see the full breakdown of the 2025 World Creative Rankings, including the most awarded campaigns, agencies and creative talent, head to our World Creative Rankings Hub.
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