Effie Announces 2024 Global Effie Index,unveiling The World's Most Effective Marketers

Effie Worldwide has released the 2024 Effie Index® (effieindex.com), the 14th edition of the annual global ranking that celebrates the most effective marketing around the world. Drawing from finalist and winning entries submitted across regional, national, and global Effie Awards competitions, this year's Index continues to reflect the evolving landscape of impactful marketing.

“The Effie Index sets the global standard for marketing effectiveness. It’s about recognizing work that works and delivering real impact across geographies, industries and audiences,” said Traci Alford, Global CEO, Effie Worldwide. “This year’s rankings reflect the true breadth of global marketing excellence, and we congratulate all those who earned top honors. We’re proud to celebrate their success and are inspired by their leadership.”

This year’s rankings are representative of Effie Awards finalists and winners determined between 1 January 2024, and 31 December 2024.

Most Effective Marketers

Top 5: AB InBev, McDonald's, Unilever, PepsiCo, Mondelēz International

Once again, FMCG/CPG, QSR, and personal care brands dominated the rankings, with AB InBev maintaining its leadership position as the most effective marketer for the fourth consecutive year. AB InBev was followed closely by McDonald’s, which climbed to second place, and Unilever, which moved to the third position. PepsiCo remained amongst the top at number four, while Mondelēz International made a strong showing to round out the top five marketers.

Most Effective Brands

Top 5: McDonald’s, Dove, KFC, Samsung, O Boticário

In the brand category, McDonald’s once again earned the top spot as the most effective brand globally, reflecting its sustained investment in effectiveness-driven marketing. Dove made a significant leap into second place, signaling strong consumer engagement and the impact of purpose-led brand communications. KFC held steady among top brands in third, while Samsung came in fourth place with innovative, high-impact campaigns. Brazil’s O Boticário secured the fifth spot, reinforcing the strength of Latin American brands on a global stage.

Most Effective Agency Holding Groups

Top 5: Omnicom, WPP, Publicis Groupe, Interpublic Group (IPG), Dentsu

Omnicom retained its position as the most effective agency holding group, ahead of WPP and Publicis Groupe, which held the second and third spots respectively. Interpublic Group (IPG) and Dentsu completed the top five, each demonstrating robust global performance across markets.

Most Effective Agency Networks

Top 5: Ogilvy, McCann Worldgroup, BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide, VML

For agency networks, Ogilvy rose to the top in 2024, driven by standout campaigns and consistently effective work across multiple regions. It was followed by McCann Worldgroup, BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide, and VML, which made its debut in the top five following a period of transformation and global expansion.

Most Effective Agency Offices

Top 5: AlmapBBDO (São Paulo, Brazil), Ogilvy (Mumbai, India), Leo Burnett (Mumbai, India), McCann (Gurugram, India), Leo Burnett (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

At the agency office level, AlmapBBDO in São Paulo, Brazil, held onto the top spot as the most effective individual agency office. They were followed by Ogilvy Mumbai and Leo Burnett Mumbai, underscoring India’s growing influence in the global effectiveness conversation. McCann Gurugram remained among the top as this year’s number four spot, followed by Leo Burnett Dubai, as number five.

Most Effective Independent Agencies

Top 5: Mischief @ No Fixed Address (Brooklyn, NY, United States), ISLA (Mexico City, Mexico), ISLA (Buenos Aires, Argentina), The Womb (Mumbai, India), Soko (São Paulo, Brazil)

Among independent agencies, Mischief @ No Fixed Address, based in Brooklyn, New York, earned the distinction of being the most effective in the world. The agency’s creative innovation and performance-driven approach propelled it to the top just five years after its founding. Latin American agencies also made a strong impact, with ISLA achieving dual recognition for its offices in Mexico City and Buenos Aires. The Womb in Mumbai and Soko in São Paulo completed the global top five, showcasing the global reach and innovation of independent agencies.

2024 Regional Rankings

Asia Pacific

McDonald’s (marketer), McDonald's (brand), WPP (holding group), Ogilvy (agency network), Ogilvy Mumbai (agency office), The Womb (independent agency).

Europe

McDonald's (marketer), McDonald’s (brand), WPP (holding group), Publicis (agency network), Ogilvy Athens (agency office), Banda (independent agency).

Latin America

AB InBev (marketer), O Boticário (brand), Omnicom (holding group), BBDO Worldwide (agency network), AlmapBBDO (agency office), ISLA Mexico (independent agency).

Middle East & Africa

AB InBev (marketer), Yas Island (brand), Publicis Groupe (holding group), Leo Burnett Worldwide (agency network), Leo Burnett Dubai (agency office), People of the Internet (independent agency).

North America

McDonald’s (marketer), McDonald’s (brand), IPG (holding group), McCann Worldgroup (agency network), Mischief @ No Fixed Address (agency office & independent agency).

2024 South Africa Rankings

RANK	SA INDIVIDUAL AGENCY OFFICES		POINTS
1	Halo	Johannesburg	76
2	Ogilvy	Cape Town	72
3	M-Sports Marketing Communications	Johannesburg	51
4	Joe Public	Johannesburg	46
5	Ogilvy	Johannesburg	42
6	iProspect	Johannesburg	30
7	Dentsu Creative	Johannesburg	21
8	Hearts & Science	Dubai	18
8	Living Masks Experiential	Johannesburg	18
8	Mindshare	Johannesburg	18
8	Punky Starfish	Johannesburg	18
8	SHIFT	Johannesburg	18
13	Draftline	Johannesburg	13
14	Foneworx	Johannesburg	12
14	Retroviral	Johannesburg	12
16	99cents	Cape Town	6
16	Design Bridge and Partners	Cape Town	6
16	Shaun James Film	Johannesburg	6
19	Accenture Song	Johannesburg	3
19	Juno	Johannesburg	3
19	Massif Films	Johannesburg	3
19	PHD	Cape Town	3
19	Starcom	Johannesburg	3
24	Dentsu	Johannesburg	2
24	Levergy	Johannesburg	2
24	M&C Saatchi Abel	Johannesburg	2
24	Promise Group	Johannesburg	2
28	Hirt & Carter	Johannesburg	1
28	IMA	Cape Town	1
28	Machine	Johannesburg	1
28	Moonsport	Cape Town	1
28	PHD	Johannesburg	1
28	SABC	Durban	1
28	The Media Shop	Johannesburg	1

RANK	SA INDEPENDENT AGENCY OFFICES		POINTS
1	Halo	Johannesburg	76
2	Joe Public	Johannesburg	46
3	Living Masks Experiential	Johannesburg	18
3	Punky Starfish	Johannesburg	18
3	SHIFT	Johannesburg	18
6	Foneworx	Johannesburg	12
6	Retroviral	Johannesburg	12
8	99cents	Cape Town	6
8	Shaun James Film	Johannesburg	6
10	Juno	Johannesburg	3
10	Massif Films	Johannesburg	3
12	Promise Group	Johannesburg	2
13	Hirt & Carter	Johannesburg	1
13	Machine	Johannesburg	1
13	Moonsport	Cape Town	1
13	SABC	Durban	1
13	The Media Shop	Johannesburg	1

RANK	SA AGENCY NETWORKS	POINTS
1	Ogilvy	114
2	Joe Public	46
3	iProspect	30
4	Dentsu International	23
5	Omnicom Media Group	22
6	Mindshare Worldwide	18
7	Draftline	13
8	M&C Saatchi	4
9	Accenture Song	3
9	Starcom	3
11	Hirt & Carter Group	1
11	Smollan	1
11	The Media Shop	1

RANK	SA HOLDING GROUPS	POINTS
1	WPP	114
2	Dentsu	53
3	Megapro Holdings	51
4	Omnicom	22
5	AB InBev	13

RANK	SA BRANDS	POINTS
1	Castle Lager	54
2	Pineapple	52
3	Brutal Fruit Spritzer	36
3	KFC	36
5	Capital Legacy	24
5	Carling Black Label	24
7	Cadbury Dairy Milk	6
7	Checkers	6
7	Chicken Licken	6
7	PEP	6
11	SAB	4
12	Nedbank	2
12	Simba	2
12	Telkom	2

RANK	SA MARKETERS	POINTS
1	AB InBev	118
2	Pineapple	52
3	YUM!	36
4	Capital Legacy	24
5	Chicken Licken	6
5	Mondelez International	6
5	Shoprite Holdings	6
5	Steinhoff International Holdings	6
9	Nedbank	2
9	PepsiCo	2
9	Telkom SA	2

To view the complete rankings and learn more about how rankings are compiled, visit effieindex.com.

*Please note: Effie Slovenia did not hold a competition during the 2024 Effie Index qualifying period. This year's rankings also reflect the results of the 2024 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards.