WPP, the world’s largest advertising company, stands out as the torchbearer of creative excellence in The Drum’s 2024 World Creative Rankings – a comprehensive data-driven assessment of the most highly awarded people, companies and campaigns in marketing and advertising. In the results, the British multinational topped the list of most awarded holding companies, while the three most awarded chief creative officers all lead WPP-owned agencies.

The top creative voice at WPP is Rob Reilly, the organization’s chief creative officer, who has made his mark on the industry with big, bold creative campaigns for the likes of Microsoft, Coca-Cola and MasterCard. His leadership style and commitment to keeping creativity at the heart of every initiative have propelled WPP to new heights since he took the post three years ago, joining from IPG’s McCann Worldgroup.

When asked what WPP’s performance in The Drum’s World Creative Rankings this year means to him, Reilly says: “For us, it means a lot to be recognized by data, not just by opinion. This was earned – it wasn’t just editorial staff deciding based on an entry report.”

He’s also pleased by the fact that he feels The Drum’s World Creative Rankings evaluate all kinds of creativity beyond traditional TV ad campaigns. “The best part … is the expansion of what creativity means and all the places you want to see it, like in commerce, in direct marketing and in things beyond film. When you rank [highly] at a prestigious show and platform like The Drum, it’s not just traditional creativity – it’s modern creativity that is being awarded and recognized. That’s valuable because people see it, clients see it, new business opportunities see it, new talent sees it.”