Unilever, McDonald's top Effie index rankings

Now in its 15th year, the index evaluates finalists and winners from regional, national and global Effie Awards programmes

Effie Worldwide has released the 2025 Effie Index, its annual ranking of the world's most effective marketers, brands, agencies and agency networks based on results from Effie Awards competitions around the world.

Now in its 15th year, the index evaluates finalists and winners from regional, national and global Effie Awards programmes, recognising organisations that have demonstrated marketing effectiveness through measurable business outcomes.

Unilever leads marketer rankings

Unilever ranked as the world's most effective marketer in 2025, moving to the top position after spending the previous three years among the top three companies in the category.

McDonald's ranked second, followed by AB InBev in third place. PepsiCo and Nestlé completed the top five global marketer rankings.

McDonald's retains brand leadership

Among brands, McDonald's maintained its position as the world's most effective brand for the fifth consecutive year.

Burger King rose to second place, while Ukrainian retailer Silpo ranked third globally. Dove and IKEA completed the top five brand rankings.

Agency groups and networks recognised

Omnicom retained its position as the world's most effective agency holding group for the third consecutive year. WPP ranked second, followed by Interpublic Group in third place. Publicis Groupe and Havas completed the top five.

In the agency network category, Leo ranked first globally, ahead of McCann Worldgroup, Omnicom Media Group, BBDO Worldwide and Ogilvy.

AlmapBBDO in São Paulo retained its position as the world's most effective agency office for a third consecutive year.

Leo Burnett Mumbai ranked second, followed by Banda agency in Kyiv. SANCHO BBDO in Bogotá and McCann Tel Aviv completed the global top five.

Independent agencies gain recognition

Banda agency was named the world's most effective independent agency, while also ranking third among all agency offices globally.

Mischief @ No Fixed Address ranked second among independent agencies, followed by The Womb in Mumbai. Rafineri and Reuveni Pridan completed the top five independent agency rankings.

Effie highlights changing effectiveness landscape

Traci Alford, Global CEO of Effie Worldwide: "The 2025 rankings tell a compelling story about marketing effectiveness today. Alongside many of the industry’s most recognized brands and organizations, we see new entrants and emerging leaders proving that effective marketing can come from anywhere. Effectiveness is not defined by size, budget, or geography – it is driven by ideas that create real impact. We congratulate all of this year’s ranked marketers, brands, agencies, and networks for setting the standard for effectiveness around the world."

The rankings are based on Effie Awards finalists and winners determined between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.

Regional leaders across global markets

The regional rankings highlighted different leaders across markets. In Asia Pacific, PepsiCo was ranked the most effective marketer, while McDonald's led both the marketer and brand categories in Europe.

AB InBev topped the marketer rankings in Latin America, while Unilever led the Middle East and Africa region. In North America, L'Oréal and Molson Coors shared the top marketer ranking. Regional agency leaders included Leo Burnett Mumbai, Banda agency, AlmapBBDO, FP7 McCann Dubai and Mischief @ No Fixed Address.

www.effie.org

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