PHD London named top media agency globally

The 2026 WARC Media 100 has been released, ranking the world’s most awarded campaigns, agencies and brands based on results from leading global and regional media awards in 2025. The annual benchmark is compiled in consultation with the WARC Rankings Advisory Board and a global panel survey.

Amy Rodgers, Head of Content, WARC Creative: "The rapid evolution of the media landscape driven by technology, shifting consumer behaviours and new platforms is reshaping how brands and their partner agencies engage with audiences in meaningful and impactful ways. The WARC Media 100 celebrates the most awarded campaigns and companies at the forefront of these changes and will spark inspiration and new opportunities for the industry."

Key trends in the 2026 ranking

Three themes stood out among this year’s top 100 campaigns:

Tapping into fans: Campaigns connect with audiences in the media and spaces where they spend time, speaking their language.

Hidden ads: Brands capture attention through subtle or surprising placements that evoke emotions and drive engagement.

Media as advocacy: Campaigns increasingly use media to promote social impact and advocate for groups such as women, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities and young audiences.

Top campaigns and agencies

The most awarded campaign for media in 2025 was Beauty Test Stops With Me by Mindshare Mumbai for Dove. The multi-channel campaign encouraged mothers to challenge beauty biases in the Indian matchmaking process.

Ailsa Lochrie, Client President, Unite, WPP Media: "Topping the WARC Media 100 ranking with the Dove 'Beauty Test Stops With Me' campaign is a remarkable achievement… We develop ideas that elevate brands, redefine categories, drawing on exceptional acumen and all that tech and AI can offer to ultimately drive unparalleled growth."

Other top campaigns include If You’re Into It. It’s in the V&A and The Redditor Edit, both by PHD London for the Victoria & Albert Museum and Skoda, respectively.

PHD London was ranked the number one agency for media, marking its first time at the top, with four campaigns in the top 100. Mindshare Mumbai rose to second place, supported by three top 100 campaigns, while Mediaplus Munich ranked third and also topped the independent agency category for the fourth consecutive year.

Paul Knight, CEO, PHD UK: "Being ranked as global no.1 agency in the WARC Media 100 is testament to the creative media skills and ingenuity of everyone at PHD UK, the clients who put their trust in us, and the media owner and agency partners who were pivotal in the success of our award-winning work."

Global media networks and holding companies

Mindshare Worldwide led the network ranking for the fifth time, with PHD Worldwide second and OMD Worldwide third. Serviceplan Group topped the independent network ranking for the ninth consecutive year.

WPP retained its position as the #1 holding company for media, a spot it has held since the Media 100 was launched in 2018. Omnicom Group and Publicis Groupe followed in second and third place.

Leading brands and advertisers

Dove continued to top the brand ranking for media, with McDonald’s second and Coca-Cola third. Unilever was the #1 advertiser for the seventh consecutive year, represented by 24 brands across the Media 100 database.

Leandro Barreto, Chief Marketing Officer, Unilever: "When purposeful creativity is powered by world-class media, we deliver real impact. I’m especially proud to see Dove top the campaign rankings once again."

Country ranking

The USA retained its position as the top country for media, contributing 16 of the top 100 campaigns. The UK was second with 11 campaigns, followed by India, Canada and Germany.

The full report can be accessed here