Published on: June 29, 2026
WPP today celebrated an outstanding performance at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with its networks dominating the agency rankings. Ogilvy and VML were named #1 and #2 Creative Network of the Year respectively, while Burson London was named PR Agency of the Year.
Across the festival, WPP agencies collected an impressive 140 Lions – a Titanium Lion, 7 Grand Prix, 29 Gold, 40 Silver and 63 Bronze – with winning entries representing creative talent and client partnerships from more than 25 countries around the world. WPP Media emerged as the most awarded media group at the festival for the second consecutive year.
WPP clients KitKat, adidas, Vaseline, IKEA and BCP Bank ranked amongst the top ten creative brands of the year, a reflection in the strength of WPP’s partnerships with some of the world’s most iconic advertisers.
This year’s winning campaigns showcased WPP’s ability to deliver culturally resonant work that earns brands a place in people’s lives and drives measurable business growth.
Breaking new ground in cultural relevance and commerce, VML, with support from Burson, earned the festival’s most prestigious distinction, a Titanium Lion, for Oreo Cows. The campaign championed a real cow breed whose natural markings mirror the cookie’s design to revive Mexico’s milk-dunking ritual, while delivering a 12% increase in Oreo sales. That same spirit of real-time cultural connection drove Ogilvy’s Grand Prix for Direct, where Uva Uva Bombón for the Uva App unlocked $1 products the instant Bad Bunny sang the brand’s name during the Super Bowl halftime show, selling out all inventory before the performance had ended.
Demonstrating how creative wit can turn unexpected challenges into brand-building phenomena, VML, Burson and OpenMind earned the PR Grand Prix for KitKat Heist. When 12 tonnes of KitKat went missing before Easter, the team launched a playful Stolen KitKat Tracker that turned a potential crisis into a global conversation, nearly tripling its closest competitor’s share in the Easter conversation. In gaming, DAVID took a similarly approach with Copycats Welcome for Clash Royale, winning the Entertainment Lions for Gaming Grand Prix by inviting players of the mobile game’s many rip-offs to convert their progress into real in-game rewards.
Harnessing the power of music and generational nostalgia, Johannes Leonardo and WPP Media’s EssenceMediacom secured two Grands Prix in Entertainment and Entertainment Lions for Music with Original Forever for adidas, a celebration of the fans who kept the Oasis legacy alive. Also recognised with a prestigious Gold Lion was WPP Open X’s Last Coke in the Desert for The Coca-Cola Company, led by VML and supported by Ogilvy and WPP Media. To mark Coca-Cola’s 100-year anniversary in Mexico, the campaign – which reached 10.3 million people in its first week – honoured the remote shopkeepers who have kept a cold Coke waiting in impossible conditions for generations.
WPP’s commitment to solving real-world problems through data and technology earned Grey the Grand Prix in Creative Data for SOS POS, a campaign for BCP Bank that transformed 17,500 payment terminals into emergency lifelines for phone-theft victims, while VML’s Lucky Fan Index for Wisła Kraków used AI to analyse 250,000 fan profiles and unlock personalised commerce opportunities for the football club, winning the Creative Commerce Grand Prix.
Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP, said: “Creativity is our superpower – it’s what builds brand differentiation and trust for our clients. WPP is home to the world’s most iconic agency brands, and this year at Cannes Lions that showed: two creative networks in the top three, the number one PR agency, the most awarded media group for a second year, and so much exceptional work that came from our creative, media, production and PR agencies working together. This is our integrated model in action, delivering growth for clients. I couldn’t be prouder of our talented people across the world, and I want to give a massive thank you to our extraordinary clients who partner with us to deliver brave, ambitious work.”
Rob Reilly, Global Chief Creative Officer at WPP, said: “Great work needs brave clients, and this year’s winners are proof of that magical partnership. From hijacking the Super Bowl in real time, to turning a supply chain disaster into a global brand moment, every one of these campaigns started with a client saying yes. That courage, combined with the ingenuity of our people, is what makes the difference. Congratulations to all our teams, and to the fearless clients who cleared the path.”
Read more: LePub Milan Crowned Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026 with Record Two Grand Prix Wins
