World Creative Rankings Mid-Year Leaderboards: the most-awarded campaigns of 2025 so far

From humorous self-awareness to media subversion and gamified interaction, the most-awarded campaigns of 2025 so far have it all.

A total of 1,091 campaigns from 708 advertisers working with 609 agencies have been analyzed to produce this report.

1. ‘Spreadbeats’ by FCB New York for Spotify

Spotify transformed the humble media plan spreadsheet into a dynamic music video, coded entirely within Excel using built-in functions. The campaign targeted media planners, demonstrating Spotify’s evolution from an audio-only platform to a vibrant, multi-format advertising space. By animating a single spreadsheet cell into a 3D character, the ad metaphorically showcased the creative potential of Spotify’s ad formats. It took home the most Grands from the Clio Awards 2025, as well as being the overall winner at both the ADC Awards and The One Show this year.

• How Spotify won over media planners using... Excel spreadsheets

2. ‘Lap of Legends’ by FCB New York for AB Inbev: Michelob

Michelob Ultra staged the first-ever real versus virtual Formula 1 race, pitting current Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant against AI avatars of legendary F1 champions. The event, broadcast live in 31 countries, used cutting-edge AR and AI to bring racing icons back to the track, blending sports entertainment with technological innovation.

• Michelob’s real-versus-virtual F1 race really cut through in crowded category

3. ‘Price Packs’ by Serviceplan Munich for Penny

Penny’s campaign made price the hero by printing it boldly on product packaging, signaling a commitment to price stability amid economic uncertainty. The striking design helped shoppers instantly spot the best deals, reinforcing Penny’s reputation for affordability. The campaign, which was rolled out across all Penny stores in Germany and supported by a visually impactful out-of-home push, has won Grand Prix at Cannes Lions and the Clios this year.

4. ‘Sightwalks’ by Circus Grey for Sol Cement

‘Sightwalks’ introduced tactile cement tiles with coded lines, enabling visually impaired pedestrians to identify nearby businesses and services by touch. Developed in collaboration with blind associations, the system empowers users to navigate city streets independently. The open-source project, first implemented in Lima, Peru, sets a new standard for inclusive urban design.

5. ‘Thanks for Coke-Creating’ by VML New York for The Coca-Cola Company

Coca-Cola celebrated the spontaneous, local reinterpretations of its iconic branding by shopkeepers and artists worldwide. The campaign validated and showcased hundreds of these unique logos through ads, custom cans and redesigned touchpoints, embracing diversity and community creativity. This global initiative has so far this year taken home baubles from Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show and the Clio Awards.

• What happened when Coke handed over creative control of its iconic logo?

6. ‘The Last Barf Bag’ by FCB Chicago for Dramamine

Dramamine paid tribute to the now-obsolete barf bag, rendered unnecessary by the brand’s effectiveness against motion sickness. The campaign featured a documentary, a pop-up museum and a collection of creatively repurposed barf bags, celebrating the cultural legacy of this quirky travel accessory.

• Explained: Dramamine’s final goodbye to the barf bag campaign

7. ‘The Final Exam’ by Energy BBDO for Change the Ref

A hyper-realistic video game that immerses players in a simulated school shooting, challenging them to survive by collecting real-world gun safety bills. The campaign confronts the myth that video games cause gun violence, instead using the medium to educate and mobilize players for gun reform. Built on data from actual incidents, the game aims to drive political action and awareness.

8. ‘Pub Museums’ by LePub Italy for Heineken

Heineken transformed historic Irish pubs into virtual museums, using AR technology to narrate local legends and showcase cultural artifacts. The campaign sought to secure official museum status for these pubs, making them eligible for government support and preserving their heritage. By blending technology and storytelling, Heineken highlighted the vital role pubs play in Irish culture.

• Heineken turned Irish pubs into virtual museums to keep them open for longer

9. ‘Voice 2 Diabetes’ by Klick Health for KVI Brave Fund

A mobile app that screens for Type 2 diabetes by analyzing a user’s voice as they read a sentence aloud. Using AI trained on thousands of recordings, the app detects subtle vocal changes linked to diabetes, offering a non-invasive, accessible screening tool. The campaign demonstrates the potential of voice technology to revolutionize early disease detection.

10. ‘The Everyday Tactician’ by McCann London for Microsoft: Xbox

Xbox invited Football Manager gamers to apply for a real job as a tactician at Bromley FC, with the winner joining the club’s backroom staff. The campaign bridged the gap between virtual and real-world football, proving that gaming skills can translate into professional success. Documented in a TNT Sports series, the initiative drove record engagement for both Xbox and Bromley FC.

11. ‘Magnetic Stories’ by Area 23 for Siemens

‘Magnetic Stories’ transformed the intimidating sounds of MRI machines into enchanting children’s audiobooks. The campaign aimed to replace fear with wonder for young patients undergoing scans, using storytelling to create a magical, calming experience. This innovative approach redefined pediatric healthcare by making medical procedures less daunting for children.

• MRI noises scare children. But what if they were part of an audiobook?

12. ‘Meet Marina Prieto’ by David Madrid for JCDecaux

‘Meet Marina Prieto’ filled Madrid’s subway with photos of a 100-year-old woman, sparking curiosity and viral buzz as commuters wondered about her identity. The campaign demonstrated the power of out-of-home advertising by turning an unknown grandmother into a social media sensation. Ultimately, it proved that even the most unexpected personalities can capture public attention and drive engagement.

• ​This 100-year-old grandma’s Instagram delivered record bookings for JCDecaux

13. ‘Michael CeraVe’ by Ogilvy PR New York for CeraVe

CeraVe’s campaign spread a viral conspiracy that actor Michael Cera created the skincare brand, fueled by influencers and social media. The playful ruse culminated in a Super Bowl commercial where dermatologists debunked the myth, reinforcing CeraVe’s true origins. The campaign generated massive buzz, record sales and reasserted the brand’s dermatologist-developed heritage.

• Ogilvy spread a conspiracy theory about Michael Cera to promote CeraVe – and it worked

14. ‘47’ by Klick Health for Café Joyeux

A handcrafted stop-motion animation telling the true story of a man with Down syndrome who found his first job at Café Joyeux at age 47, the film uses a nautical metaphor to depict his journey through rejection and prejudice, ultimately finding acceptance and purpose. Co-created with the Down syndrome community, the campaign highlights the importance of inclusive employment.

15. ‘Payback Time’ by David New York for Supercell

The campaign for Clash of Clans introduced football star Erling Haaland as the first real person in the game, inviting his rivals and “haters” to raid his in-game village. The campaign used billboards, real-time ads and rival footballers to fuel competition and expand the game’s audience. This bold strategy turned animosity into engagement, converting millions of new players.

16. ‘Adoptable’ by Colenso BBDO for Mars: Pedigree

This campaign uses AI to place real, adoptable shelter dogs at the center of every Pedigree digital ad, transforming each advertisement into a platform for dog adoption. By converting basic shelter photos into high-quality, studio-grade images, the initiative increases the visibility of dogs in need and accelerates Pedigree’s mission to end dog homelessness. The technology ensures that once a dog is adopted, it is immediately removed from the ad rotation, making every media dollar work toward finding homes for shelter animals.

17. ‘Clean Sponsorship’ by DM9 Sao Paulo for Whirlpool

To promote Consul washing machines, this campaign bought every sponsorship space on the jerseys of Clube Atlético Juventus and removed all brand logos, returning the shirts to their original, sponsor-free form. For 20 league games, the team played in clean kits, sparking conversation about the over-commercialization of football shirts and celebrating the club’s heritage.

18(=). ‘Considering What?’ by 4Creative for Channel 4

Created for the Paralympics, this campaign personifies forces like gravity, friction and time as antagonists, highlighting the universal challenges faced by all athletes, not just those with disabilities. The ad challenges patronizing attitudes by focusing on the athletes’ skill and determination, rather than framing their achievements as remarkable, “considering” their disabilities. Through bold storytelling and irreverent visuals, it reframes the narrative around Paralympians, celebrating their prowess and shifting the focus to genuine sporting excellence.

• How 4Creative ‘wrong-footed the viewer’ with new Paralympics spot

18(=). ‘Never just a period’ by AMV BBDO for Essity: Libresse

This integrated campaign confronts the gap between what women are taught about their bodies and the often confusing, underrepresented realities of menstrual health. Using humor, mixed media and a female orchestra, the ad explores experiences from first periods to dismissed pain, aiming to spark open conversations and improve education around menstruation. The campaign’s message is that periods and the experiences surrounding them are never “just” anything, but complex, emotional and deserving of understanding.

• Essity is still fighting the good fight against period advertising taboos

20. ‘In Transit’ by Area 23 for Transgender Day of Visibility

Marking Transgender Day of Visibility, this campaign replaced New York City subway announcements with the voice of Bernie Wagenblast, a well-known announcer who recently came out as a transgender woman. Posters and audio messages at the Christopher Street station highlighted the presence and contributions of transgender people, encouraging respect and understanding among millions of daily riders. The campaign also featured a podcast and a fictional transit line, each stop representing a landmark in NYC’s trans history, making trans visibility a part of everyday life for commuters.

• First openly transgender person makes NYC subway announcements

All to play for...

This week’s World Creative Rankings Leaderboards provide a snapshot of how the 2025 rankings are taking shape at the halfway stage, but there’s still much to play for to determine the final standings in the next annual list.

As one of the majors, The Drum Awards Festival in November, and specifically its creative categories, will have a big bearing on the eventual outcome. Entries are open until Thursday, September 4, 2025, at thedrumawards.com.

The full annual World Creative Rankings, including the people categories, will follow after the 2025 awards calendar is complete.