Embarking on a journey to see the Top 10 countries from the 2024 Global Rankings

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Happy New Year, everybody! We at The One Club for Creativity can’t think of a better way to ring in 2025 than to check out the year that just wrapped up, thanks to our popular Global Creative Rankings. The official numbers were released today, and are a wonderful way to explore where every agency, studio, creative, and brand stands on the world stage.

One of othe things we like to do when the Global Rankings are unveiled is see how the various competitions — The One Show, the ADC Annual Awards, the TDC Annual Competition, the ONE Asia Creative Awards, the ADCE Awards, and our local chapters in Denver, Miami, and San Diego — affect the country rankings. After all, these are numbers that everybody from a giant agency to a self-employed illustrator can affect in the name of national pride. Case in point: our #6 and #7 countries this year are separated by a mere 34.76 points. A single additional Gold Pencil or Cube won by anybody in that #7 country would’ve flipped their positions. Two more Golds and a single appearance in the TDC70 Annual would’ve moved #5 to #4.

But let’s save the what-could’ve-beens for planning your 2025 entries. Until then, it’s time to celebrate 2024’s Top Ten!

 

SEE COMPLETE 2024 COUNTRY RANKINGS

 

#1. UNITED STATES

LAST YEAR: #1, —

 

 

Let’s face it: unless the Americans pull a 1980 Summer Olympics move, they’re going to be at the top of this list every year. The literal home of Madison Avenue approaches industry awards on a scale that just can’t be beat. This is not to disparage the rest of this list; as you will soon see, there is some awe-inspring work all up and down this list. And not every US-based winner is trophy-worthy; over 600 wins are “mere” One Show or ADC Merit honors.

Buuuuuuut, enough of them are indeed meeting the gold standard. The two most awarded campaigns across all of our competitions — FCB New York’s “Dreamcaster” for Michelob ULTRA and McCann New York’s “ADLaM” for Microsoft — picked up a whopping 21 Gold Pencils, 11 Gold Cubes, and 10 Best of Discipline honors between them, and “ADLam” even won the elusive ADC Black Cube for Best of Show!

While Apple might be best known for its cool products and the stellar advertising campaigns that accompany them, their in-house design team is also constantly hitting home runs. This year, the expansion of their acclaimined SF Pro typeface into Georgian, Armenian, and Hebrew multi-axis type families earned them three spots in TDC70.

The United States is also home to our three chapters' award shows, whose winners also make it into the rankings. We tip our hat in congratulations to Party Land, who won Best of Show at this year’s One Club Awards Denver for “Always With You,” a funny campaign for iconic backpack brand JanSport aimed at teens.

All in all, this is enough to have just about anybody chanting “USA! USA!” while punctuating each letter with a car horn.

 

 

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED STATES ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED STATES ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED STATES TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED ONE CLUB DENVER WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED ONE CLUB MIAMI WINNERS

 

#2. GERMANY

LAST YEAR: #3, +1

 

 

In 2022 Germany was ranked #4. In 2023, the country moved up a notch to #3. And now, after an outstanding year at the ADCE Awards, Germany sees itself even higher, finishing out 2024 in our #2 spot!

Serviceplan is a perennial award show darling, and 2024 is no exception, with its Munich office finishing in fifth place amongst all of the agencies in the world. Among their most awarded campaigns is “AIZOME WASTECARE™,” a skincare product created to bring attention to the harmful by-products of textile dyeing. This campaign won four Gold Pencils, a Gold Cube, and both a Gold Award and a Green Star at the ADCE Awards.

Other outstanding submissions that helped elevate Germany on the Global Rankings include the Gold Cube-winning “The Homeless Gallery,” created by Philipp und Keuntje for Hinz&Kunzt; “FUKT Magazine #21: The Unknown Issue,” by Ariane Spanier Design, which made it into the TDC70 Annual; and the powerful “The 100th Edition,” created by Scholz & Friends for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung​, which won three Gold Awards and the European Star at the ADCE Awards.

While it’s highly unlikely that Germany will continue its “moving up a spot esch year” trajectory — with the United States in the mix, #2 is the best another country can do — it would be a solid bet to find them in the Top 5 next year, if not a repeat at #2. To the rest of the world, Achtung!

 

SEE ALL RANKED GERMANY ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED GERMANY ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED GERMANY TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED GERMANY ADC EUROPE WINNERS

 

#3. CANADA

LAST YEAR: #2, -1

 

 

Last year was the Great White North’s first ever apperance in the #2 spot on the Global Rankings list, and if it weren’t for an exceptionally good showing for the Germans at the ADC and ADCE Awards, Canada might've been able to hang onto their position in 2024. Instead, they’ve ended the year with a hard-earned third place.

But even a bronze finish can have a silver lining, and that goes out to Canada’s Rethink, who finished as the #2 ranked agency in the entire world, a phenomenal accomplishment for an independent shop, and even more so for having multiple winning campaigns, rather than a single juggernaut. Take your pick: “Heinz Ketchup Fraud,” which won four Gold Pencils, three Gold Cubes, and a One Show Best of Discipline; “Coors Lights Out,” which won three Gold Pencils, two Gold Cubes, and a One Show Best of Discipline; even their long-running relationship witrh Kraft Heinz earned them a Penta Pencil.

But don’t get the impression that Rethink won all of Canada’s accolades! Dentsu Canada, FCB Toronto, and Ogilvy Toronto all had their hands on One Show Best of Discipline wins, for work done for SkipThe Dishes, Adidas, and Dove, respectively. Sid Lee won a Gold Cube in Publication Design for Sobey’s “The Family Cookvault,” while Paprika was recognized by TDC70 for the beautiful packaging design and lettering for La Ferme de Loup.

Canada has been a Top Ten country on this list for many years, so a minor drop from #2 to #3 isn’t a calamity. That said, you know they’ll be wanting to move up once again, and with the breadth of talent they display here, we wouldn’t be too surprised if they did.

 

SEE ALL RANKED CANADA ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED CANADA ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED CANADA TDC WINNERS

 

#4. JAPAN

LAST YEAR: #8, +4

 

 

Welcome to the Land of the Rising Position, as Japan makes the second largest jump in the rankings, moving up four spots from #8 to #4. It’s to difficult to see why, as the country consistently cranks out stunningly designed work, regardless of the agency, studio, or brand behind it.

Perennial powerhouse Dentsu led the charge in 2024, finding itself as the #6 agency on the global rankings. Its most awarded campaign — “My Japan Railway” for the transportation company’s 150th anniversary — won five Gold Cubes, three Gold Pencils, two Best of Discipline honors, and a Gold ONE Asia win. Dentsu also won big at the ONE Asia Awards, winning two Golds and two Best of Disciplines for “Sato 2531,” a uniquely Japanese gender equality campaign created for Asuniwa.

Other standouts include TBWA\HAKUHODO, whose “Shellmet” project for Koushi Chemical Industry Co.​ won three Gold Pencils, two Gold Cubes, and an ADC Best of Discipline; and “Analog Market 2023,” designed by Ligh for Audio-Technica Corporation, which was recognized by TDC70.

 

SEE ALL RANKED JAPAN ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED JAPAN ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED JAPAN TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED JAPAN ONE ASIA WINNERS

 

#5. FRANCE

LAST YEAR: #6, +1

 

 

France moved up one spot in 2024 to be ranked #5. This is also the fifth straight year that the country has hade it to Global Rankings Top Ten list. Coincidence? Probably, but five looks like a lucky number for the French Republic!

Or maybe it’s the number 10. After all, that’s how many Gold Pencils that Marcel Paris won for “WoMen’s Football,” the groundbreaking campaign for Orange designed to change perceptions about women athletes. This project also won two One Show Best of Disciplines and was named Best of Show. These successes helped make “WoMen’s Football” the fourth-highest ranked entry on the Global Rankings, solely on One Show points. Just imagine how high it would’ve scored if it was also submitted to ADC!

So which French entries did make an impact in the other Global Rankings competitions? DDB Paris turned Honda’s less-than-stellar results at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans into the gorgeous photographs of “The Beautiful Fail,” winning an ADC Gold Cube in the process. Violaine & Jérémy also won a Gold Cube for this absolutely sumptuous branding created for Belmond and its Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.  Paris-based Yorgo&Co. helped rebrand the famous sock company Happy Feet with two playful typefaces that wowed the TDC70 judges. 

France’s showing at the ADCE Awards was limited to partnerships with agencies in other countries. This is because in order to win at ADCE, a piece of work usually must first win at one of the competitions run by Europe’s national clubs and associations — and as of yet, none of the French ones are under the ADCE umbrella. If that were to change, however, expect France to move up this list in the years to come.

 

SEE ALL RANKED FRANCE ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED FRANCE ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED FRANCE TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED FRANCE ADC EUROPE WINNERS

 

#6. UNITED KINGDOM

LAST YEAR: #4, -2

 

 

They used to say that the sun never sets on the British Empire, but after dropping two spots in 2024 down to #6 — the first time that the United Kingdom has fallen out of the Top Five in Global Rankings history — that sun can certainly dip a little

That said, any country that’s this high up the list has to be creating some fantastic work. Like Ogilvy UK, who teamed up with their Toronto office to create “The Cost of Beauty,” a powerful short film that continues the agency’s tradition of compelling creative for Dove. This project was awarded five Gold Pencils and a One Show Best of Discipline.

Another big winner out of the UK in 2024 was “Up In Smoke,” a haunting animated video by NOMINT and created for WWF, which won two Gold Cubes and one Gold Pencil, among other honors. Meanwhile, London-based designer Will Mower worked with Germany’s Open Press Project to create “BlockFace,” a TDC70 Best of Discipline-winning wonderful rubber stamp typography kit that continues as an open-source project that others can replicate. And VML UK made a big splash at November’s ADCE Awards, where their “Waiting To Live” campaign for NHS Blood & Transplant won three Golds — and the Grand Prix for the entire competition!

So as you can see, there is no need to panic over the UK’s dip in the rankings. As they say, keep calm and carry on.

 

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED KINGDOM ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED KINGDOM ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED KINGDOM TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED UNITED KINGDOM ADC EUROPE WINNERS

 

#7. CHINA

LAST YEAR: #5, -2

 

 

Alongside the United Kingdom, China has also moved two spots down the Global Rankings after moving two spots down the previous year. Still, this is their sixth consecutive year in the Top Ten — and unlike other countries this high up the list, they’ve done so without a particularly strong year in The One Show.

Chinese agencies and studios took home eight Gold Cubes at the ADC 103rd Annual Awards; among them was PILLS, which won the Architecture / Interior / Environmental Design Best of Discipline honor with “Wu Jian'an Solo Exhibition,” created for the Silk Road International Art Exchange Center & CAFA Art Museum. Meanwhile, Tengis Type made it into the TDC70 Annual with “Ese-Unen,” a sans-serif Mongolian typeface. And Cheil won both a Gold honor and China’s first ever ONE Asia Best of Discipline winner with “The Touch Annual Report,” which was created for Orbis with special inks that require the heat from ones hands to uncover the text.

This doesn’t mean that The One Show didn’t contribute to China’s spot on the list; TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai worked with their Los Angeles office to win a Gold Pencil for “Little Garlic,” a Chinese New Year-themed addition to Apple’s ongoing “Shot on iPhone” campaign. But if the country wishes to move up in 2025, China will benefit from a stronger presence in The One Show.

 

SEE ALL RANKED CHINA ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED CHINA ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED CHINA TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED CHINA ONE ASIA WINNERS

 

#8. AUSTRALIA

LAST YEAR: #7, -1

 

 

The Land Down Under took a slight dip in 2024, moving down one spot from #7 to #8. But considering that the country was at #16 in 2022, we’d say that this little bump in the road is nothing that the Aussies can’t handle.

Last year, The Monkeys were a major part of Australia’s success on the list, and they’re definitely a big reason why the country is back again this time around. Their bombastic “Play It Safe” for the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House won two Gold Pencils, two Gold ONE Asia Awards, and two One Show Best of Disciplines — obviously taking the message of their campaign to heart.

Australia also fared well in TDC70, where Melbourne-based artist Maria Montes used her amazing calligraphic skills for an editorial piece in Middlebury Magazine. And the ONE Asia Awards continue to be a place for Oz to shine; CHEP Network won two Golds for “Climate Doctor’s Certificate,” a subversive way to get a note from your doctor for School Strike 4 Climate.

As for the ADC Awards, the bulk of Australia’s big wins came as a result of production companies splitting points with foreign ad agencies — good on ya, Revolver, for two Gold Cubes and a Best of Discipline for your work on HeimatTBWA\ and HORNBACH’s “Square Meter.” But we wanted to shine a little light on Spoonful of Wonder, a creative duo who made “Copycat,” their very first indie video game, winning a Bronze Cube in Gaming for their efforts. More indie games please, from Australia and beyond!

 

SEE ALL RANKED AUSTRALIA ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED AUSTRALIA ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED AUSTRALIA TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED AUSTRALIA ONE ASIA WINNERS

 

#9. COLOMBIA

LAST YEAR: #29, +20

 

 

In 2023, Colombia found itself taking a tumble out of the Top Ten, falling all the way from #10 down to #29. But once you’ve had a taste of the top, you’ll do anything to get back there, and that’s exactly what the Latin American country did — only better, coming in at #9 in 2024!

This year, Colombia can thank VML and Grey for their return to the promised land; their phenomenally well-received “Life-Extending Stickers” for Makro Supermarkets turned the labels found on fresh produce into four Gold Pencils, three Gold Cubes, two ADC Best of Disciplines, a Green Pencil, and a Sustainable Development Goals Pencil!

Colombia won one additional Gold Cube when artist Daniel Liévano was lauded for “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: H. Murakami,” which he illustrated for The Folio Society. Meanwhile, two Colombian studios made a mark in TDC70; S&Co stepped out of the packaging design comfort zone to develop kinetic typography visuals for famous EDM DJ Don G, and Nubikini Studio was recognized for their contribution to the 36 Days of Type Challenge.

Congratulations to Colombia for bouncing back after a big fall! Let’s hope that this year you’ll continue to stay near the top of the list!

 

SEE ALL RANKED COLOMBIA ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED COLOMBIA ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED COLOMBIA TDC WINNERS

 

#10. SPAIN

LAST YEAR: #12, +2

 

 

Hey there, stranger! Haven’t seen you around in a while! Rounding out this year’s Top Ten is Spain, whose last appearance here was back in 2020.

What brought Spain back to the top of the list? First of all, it was the country’s strongest ever One Show appearance, buoyed by work like Cheil Madrid’s “Unfear,” a partnership with Samsung to introduce AI-powered noise-canceling technology geared specifically towards people with autism. “Unfear” won a Gold Pencil in Health & Wellness, among other accolades. Meanwhile, Spain also gained recognition in TDC70, where faaade used AI to help develop “MAR,” a poster series featuring letters inspired by the marine life of the Mediterranean.

But where Spain really made a difference was at the ADCE Awards, where agencies won six Gold awards. The most celebrated of the bunch was “Oliveira Dos Cen Anos,” an anthemic film by Little Spain to honor the 100th anniversary of Real Club Celta de Vigo.

Unfortunately what kept the country from going any higher — and might cause them to drop back out of the Top Ten in the future — was an underwhelming showing in the ADC Awards. Only one Cube was awarded to a Spanish company that wasn’t teamed up with agencies in other countries (which splits points): Morillas Brand Design earned a Bronze Cube that matches the rich brown colors of “Altabruma,” the luxury rum brand for which they created the identity and packaging.

 

 

SEE ALL RANKED SPAIN ONE SHOW WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED SPAIN ADC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED SPAIN TDC WINNERS

SEE ALL RANKED SPAIN ADC EUROPE WINNERS

 

Now with Colombia and Spain making their grand returns to the Top Ten in 2024, this unfortunately means that two countries have been bumped off the list. This time around, that dubious honor goes to Brazil and India, which fell from #9 and #10 down to #11 and #13 respectively.

Brazil only lost to tenth-place Spain by a mere 4.45 points, so it’s clear that Latin America’s biggest country can still pack a punch. Some of the Brazilian highlights from last year’s various shows include the double Gold Pencil-winning “The One Exhibition” by DM9 for Leica; “John Chester Ross & Sons Whiskey, 2nd Batch” by Holy Studio, which received two TDC70 honors; and “Open Rio 2023” by illustrator Camila Rosa for Skate Total Urbe, which earned an ADC Bronze Cube.

Meanwhile India managed to shine brightest at ONE Asia, winning three Gold honors, and Leo Burnett Mumbai chalking up extra points for Aquakraft’s “Water Sustainablity Score,” which won the coveted Green Award. The country also fared admirably in TDC70 — check out Ek Type’s “Nithya Ranjana” and “Honk” for some typographic inspiration!

Unfortunately India has been hamprered by performanace dips in both The One Show and ADC Annual Awards. No Indian agencies won a Gold Pencil this year, and only Leo Burnett Mumbai and Ogilvy India earning Silvers for Lay’s and Vodafone Idea respectively. This past year, only a single project from India was recognized by ADC: the Merit-winning “The Irregular Times” by Irregulars Alliance. For India to find its way back into the Top Ten, it will need to take bigger chances in these two global competitions.

And while Brazil was the only country in the “Next Ten” within strking distance of the Top Ten in 2024, there was some interesting movement in that range. For instance, Singapore leapt an astounding 20 spots, from #33 in 2023 to #13 in 2024, thanks to a solid showing at ONE Asia, buoyed by Ogilvy Singapore and its “Transition Body Lotion” for Vaseline, which won two Golds and a Best of Discipline. Argentina also made a large jump in 2024, moving from #26 to #15, with the Buenos Aires office of GUT winning Gold Pencils for three different clients: Stella Artois, PedidosYa, and Mercado Libre.

Congratulations to all of the countries that made it into the Top Ten! And for all of the others, what opportunities can you see that would help you move up the list, even just incrementally? Does that TV spot you’re working on make use some original hand lettering for the tagline? That just might translate to a TDC win! Did that print poject of yours employ some absoluely stunning portraiture? The ADC Awards has an entire discipline devoted to photography! Did your client's sales numbers blow away expectations after your latest campaign? Maybe it’s time to check out The One Show’s fully revamped Creative Effectiveness discipline! Whatever it takes to move your country — and your company — further up the list.

 

 

SEE COMPLETE 2024 COUNTRY RANKINGS