LIONS Creativity Report 2024: Colenso BBDO named Pacific Agency of the Year, second year running

Cannes Lions has released the 2024 Creativity Report, with Colenso BBDO taking out top honours – ranking as the top agency across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region.

Based on performance from Cannes Lions 2024, the report shows benchmarked work of creative excellence, along with the insights and impact of the results it delivered, demonstrating how the world’s most creative businesses are using creativity as a lever for growth and progress.

Runner-up Pacific Agency of the Year went to The Monkeys, followed by DDB Group Aotearoa in third place, VML in fourth place and Dentsu Creative Aotearoa in fifth place.

Colenso’s No. 1 ranking is made even more special as it is the second year in a row the agency has topped the region, having won this same title in 2023.

Colenso claimed the regional top spot by winning five Lions, including the coveted Outdoor Grand Prix for Pedigree Adoptable. It also picked up a Gold Lion, a Silver Lion and two Bronze Lions.

Says Angela Watson, CEO, Colenso: “Colenso has always aimed to be one of the best agencies in the world that just happens to be in New Zealand. It’s done that with scary consistency for decades, thanks to the brilliant Suits, Planners, Creatives, Producers, studio teams, digital makers, clients and rascals that have called Colenso home. I’m proud that this Colenso team is writing our own chapter and adding to that legacy by winning Pacific Agency of the Year again.”

Pacific Agency of the Year Rankings 2024:

New Zealand has ranked #14 country in the world dropping two spots from #12 last year. The United States takes the leading spot, followed by Brazil in second place, moving up a place from 2023. In third place is the United Kingdom followed by Canada in fourth place, whilst Germany moves four places up, to reach fifth place.

Country rankings:

Mars Pedigree were the big winners for the agency, with Gold across Direct and Silver in Business Transformation for Adoptable – which used AI to turn every digital PEDIGREE ad into an ad for a shelter dog. Adoptable is rolling out globally, with every digital touchpoint of the PEDIGREE brand featuring an adoptable dog by 2026.

Says Si Vicars, CCO at Colenso: “Winning a Grand Prix at Cannes seems so impossible that when it actually happens it’s a strange feeling. To win Grand Prix back-to-back is a privilege. Especially in one of the biggest categories at the festival. Our Agency of the Year title is testament to the talent of every single person at Colenso, and the endless ambition of our amazing clients.”

Colenso’s win also helped BBDO win Regional Network of the Year 2024.

Says Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS: “The LIONS Creativity Rankings shows creatives and marketers – agencies and brands – the creative marketing that matters, so that they can fuel their pursuit to create better, drive business growth and shift culture.

“The official rankings are a celebration and a powerful tool for future success, while the report is impact-led and built with analysis from the Lions Awards, to deliver tangible examples of how creativity can drive progress.

“Congratulations to all those who have ranked this year and have contributed to setting the global creative benchmark. We look forward to releasing the 2024 people rankings, as part of the Talent Report, in November.”

The LIONS Creativity Report features seven Regional Network of the Year awards and 12 global awards, including Creative Company, Network, Agency, Independent Network, Independent Agency, Creative Brand and Palme d’Or, as well as Health Network, Healthcare Agency and Media Network.

Five subsequent reports will be released based on the 2024 core Festival streams: The Creativity Toolbox, Creative Impact, Innovation Unwrapped, Talent and Culture and Insights and Trends. Each report, available to all through LIONS’ insights and intelligence platform The Work on 17 October 2024, will showcase awarded work, insights from Jurors and winners and highlights from the Cannes Lions stages.

The LIONS Creativity Rankings are available to view here.