DAVID is Goliath: The Top 10 Agencies of 2020
By Brett McKenzie on Jun 24, 2020
"Moldy Whopper" shakes up our annual agency Top 10 list
What happens when a whopper of an idea is spread across three different shops in three different cities? The One Show 2020's Global Agency Rankings becomes the Wild West, with perennial favorites knocked out of the Top 10 list, and other agencies having their Cinderella stories told before the world. Why, it's the closest we got to the unpredictability of March Madness this year. But in the end, only one agency stands the tallest.
Based on points assigned for Gold, Silver and Bronze Pencils, alongside Best of Disciplines, the Green Pencil, the SDG Pencil, the Penta Pencil and Best of Show, here are this year's top ten agencies, including how they fared the year before.
#1. DAVID / Miami
LAST YEAR: #54, +53
Make no mistake, "Moldy Whopper" was a gargantuan hit for DAVID Miami and other agencies this year. But as big as it was, you need even more amazing work to earn the top spot on our agency rankings, and this year, DAVID came through. "Stevenage Challenge", another incredible project for Burger King, earned the agency five Gold Pencils and a Best of Discipline in Social Media, and some impressive work for Coca-Cola and Heinz propelled DAVID to the very top, jumping 53 spots from how they fared in 2019. This isn't a David meets Goliath story, but rather a David is Goliath one.
#2. McCann / New York
LAST YEAR: #4, +2
McCann New York is one of those powerhouse agencies that are always creating phenomenal work, which is why they've been on this top ten list every year since 2017. And even with Burger King and its agencies bumping a number of perennial favorites off of this year's list, not only is McCann still here, they even moved up two spots from last year! Their work for Microsoft, Donate Life California and March For Our Lives all won multiple Golds, and their longstanding relationship with Microsoft earned them the extremely rare Penta Pencil.
#3. INGO / Stockholm
LAST YEAR: 174, +171
Hitting harder than an Ingemar Johansson right hook, the Stockholm agency that bears the legendary boxer's nickname was certainly punching above its weight this year, jumping an astonishing 171 spots to end up ranking #3. Of course, this is due to their amazing contributions to the success of "Moldy Whopper", but hey, they also scored a Merit for a separate Burger King project. Every single point counts, and it was that project that nudged them ahead of #4...
#4. Publicis / Bucharest
LAST YEAR: —
If ever there was a demonstration of how a single exceptional idea can change your fortunes, it's Publicis Bucharest and "Moldy Whopper". This is their first appearance in The One Show Top 10. In fact, their last appearance in the rankings was in 2017, where they placed #392. Enjoy your well-deserved place in the sunshine, Publicis! We hope to see you and your incredible thinking in the rankings next year.
#5. Scholz & Friends / Berlin
LAST YEAR: #58, +53
Germany always does well at The One Show, and it's quite often a collective effort, with multiple agencies bringing home Gold Pencils. This year is no different, but Berlin's Scholz & Friends is the 2020 German star, finding itself in the #5 spot on the global rankings. It's easy to see why: 16 Gold Pencils for its work for The Female Company and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, with "The Tampon Book" also winning three Best of Discipline honors. Prost, Scholz & Friends!.
#6. FCB / Toronto
LAST YEAR: —
Canada had an exceptionally good year at The One Show, placing second in the overall country rankings (and really, with its sheer volume, nobody is knocking the US out of the #1 spot.) Leading the 2020 charge is FCB Toronto, making the Top 10 list for the very first time, primarily on the strength of the awe-inspiring "Project Understood." This project, created for Google AI and Canadian Down Syndrome, racked up 11 Gold Pencils and two Best of Discipline wins..
#7. FCB / Chicago
LAST YEAR: #203, +196
2020 has been an amazing year for FCB offices located on the Great Lakes! Right behind their Toronto counterparts on the Top 10 list, FCB Chicago made a phenomenal 196-spot jump from last year to find themselves ranked #7 in the world. They were fortunate to have such an amazing client in the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, who gave their blessing on two very different but equally stunning projects. "Most Dangerous Street" and "The Gun Violence History Book" won a combined 19 Pencils, with the former also earning a Best of Discipline for Experiential & Immersive.
#8. BBDO / New York
LAST YEAR: #22, +14
What's a global agency Top 10 list without the fine folks at BBDO New York? That would be our 2019 list, where BBDO made the rarest of slips down to the #22 spot. But all is right with the world, as they have returned to One Show glory, courtesy of 16 Pencils — including eight Golds — for the likes of Sandy Hook Promise, Monica Lewinsky, and THINX. Glad to have you back in the Top 10, BBDO! We'll keep your seat warm for 2021.
#9. Goodby Silverstein & Partners / San Francisco
LAST YEAR: #70, +61
One of the things that we like about Goodby Silverstein & Partners' Pencil-winning work this year is that it was done for a wide variety of clients. Their work for Daughters of the Evolution, PayPal, the Dali Musem, Doritos, and Xfinity — with a Best of Discipline win for "Herstory" — demonstrate that they don't have just one good idea — they have several. It was enough to put them at #9 in the world on the 2020 rankings list.
#10. TBWA\Media Arts Lab / Los Angeles
LAST YEAR: #6, -4
When Apple is your client, you can't help but make beautiful ads. That's why TBWAMedia Arts Lab is one of only two agencies to remain in our Top 10 list from last year. And while the breathtaking practical effects of "Bounce" gets most of the attention — as well as a Best of Discipline win — TBWAMAL proves once again that it has just enough other tricks up its sleeve to round out our Top 10 in the world.
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