The annual worldwide benchmark report, which is free to view, is an industry reflection of creative excellence across advertising, design and craft, says the NPO.

Rankings are determined through a transparent, weighted points system spanning The One Club's global shows (The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, and Type Directors Club's TDC competition), regional programmes (ONE Asia Creative Awards and Art Directors Club Europe's ADCE Creative Awards), national competitions hosted by ADCE member clubs, and local shows by club's United States chapters. 

2025's top-ranked firms for Middle East and Africa are as follows:

Middle East and Africa Agency Rankings

  • Impact BBDO Dubai
  • Leo Dubai
  • Big Time Creative Shop Riyadh
  • Publicis Middle East Dubai
  • GForce Grey Almaty
  • Bananas Johannesburg
  • Joe Public Johannesburg
  • TBWA Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg
  • FP7 McCann Dubai, and
  • Current Global Dubai, Promise Johannesburg and SRMG Labs Riyadh.

Middle East and Africa Independent Agency Rankings

  • Big Time Creative Shop Riyadh
  • Bananas Johannesburg
  • Joe Public Johannesburg
  • Promise Johannesburg and SRMG Labs Riyadh
  • Synthesis Agency Tashkent
  • Vazari PR Tashkent, and
  • CITIX Almaty, JAM Agency Almaty and Ogency Almaty.

Globally, FCB once again took top positions in the rankings, with both FCB New York crowned Global Agency of the Year and FCB as Agency Network of the Year for the third year in a row, says the NPO.

Global Agency Rankings

  • FCB New York
  • Klick Health Toronto
  • Serviceplan Germany Munich
  • Area 23 New York
  • TBWA \ Media Arts Lab Los Angeles
  • Ogilvy Singapore
  • Playmakers Tbilisi
  • McCann London, and
  • DAVID Madrid and Energy BBDO Chicago.

Global Independent Agency Rankings

  • Klick Health Toronto
  • Serviceplan Germany Munich
  • Playmakers Tbilisi
  • Uzina Lisbon, and
  • Rethink Toronto.

According to the NPO, top ranked firms and individuals in the following categories are below:

  • Design Firm of the Year: The New York Times Magazine New York
  • Brand-Side Agency of the Year: Squarespace New York
  • Brand of the Year: Spotify
  • Brand Parent Company of the Year: AB InBev
  • Non-Profit Client of the Year: Change the Ref
  • Production Company of the Year: We Make Them Wonder Munich
  • Music and Sound Company of the Year: DaHouse Audio Los Angeles
  • Agency Network of the Year: FCB
  • Independent Agency Network of the Year: Serviceplan Group
  • Agency Holding Company of the Year: IPG
  • Highest Ranked Work: "Spreadbeats" for Spotify by FCB New York
  • Creative of the Year: Danilo Boer, Global Creative Partner of FCB Global, and
  • CMO of the Year: Dr Jan Flemming, PENNY.

Country Rankings

  • United States
  • Canada
  • Germany
  • Portugal, and
  • United Kingdom.

Region Rankings

  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia Pacific
  • Latin America, and
  • Middle East and Africa.

Global College Creative Rankings

  • Berghs School of Communication Stockholm
  • ArtCenter College of Design Pasadena
  • Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Ludwigsburg, and
  • Brigham Young University Provo School of Visual Arts New York.

"Our annual Global Creative Rankings and Global College Creative Rankings are free to view and built on a fully open methodology, with no secret weightings or hidden formulas," concludes Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club for Creativity. "They provide the clearest and most comprehensive picture of the ideas, agencies and brands that are truly leading the industry, from local markets to the global stage."

For more information, visit www.oneclub.org. You can also follow The One Club on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of the contributor