• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, September 11, 2014

Colenso BBDO, part of Omnicom, has been dubbed the “world’s smartest creative agency” by the World Advertising Research Center (Warc) based on a ranking the group uses to track agency and brand performance.  The media agency counterpart, according to the new WARC ranking is Publicis Groupe’s Chicago-based Starcom. Proximity New Zealand was tops among digital agencies.

The Warc rankings track agency and brand performance in effectiveness and strategy competitions. The group uses a proprietary methodology that assigns points to agencies and campaigns based on awards won and then weights the numbers based on a competition’s “rigor and prestige in the global industry.”

Colenso BBDO is based in New Zealand and was judged on work for clients such as Tip Top and Mountain Dew. Sibling agency AMV BBDO, based in the UK was ranked second among creative shops. BBDO World took top honors in the network category, edging out WPP Ogilvy & Mather.

And Omnicom was the top-ranked holding company, just ahead of WPP.

“The best work works best — smart insights inspiring creative magic, in turn driving strong business results,” said Andrew Robinson, President and CEO of BBDO Worldwide.

“These ranking showcase the agencies that are really making a difference to their clients’ businesses,” said David Tiltman, head of Content at Warc. “By focusing on effectiveness and strategic thinking, the Warc 100 offers a new benchmark for agency performance based on real campaign results.”

More on the Warc rankings can be found here.