Axa's 'Three Words' nets top WARC ranking for Publicis

Publicis Conseil Paris’ work for insurance brand Axa, ‘Three Words’, has emerged as the most awarded campaign for creativity, according to WARC’s independent global benchmark for creativity across the marketing industry.

The WARC Creative 100 Rankings 2026 has thrown up three key themes. First, campaigns increasingly showcased creativity across multiple media channels, reflecting the industry’s ability to engage audiences through diverse platforms.

Second, advocacy-driven campaigns continued to highlight how creative work can drive social change, addressing issues such as visual impairment, LGBTQ+ inclusion, herpes awareness and domestic violence.

And, finally, the rankings also underscored the growing role of creativity in B2B marketing, with two B2B campaigns featuring in the top 10.

Axa’s ‘Three Words’ was launched in 2025 to support victims of domestic violence through insurance. The campaign flagged up how the insurance giant had added three words – “and domestic violence” – to its home insurance policies in France, enabling victims of domestic abuse to access immediate relocation cover.

It led Axa to win “Creative Brand of the Year” at the Cannes Lions Festival 2025, winning prestigious accolades including the Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix and Direct Grand Prix.

Publicis Conseil CEO and chief creative officer Marco Venturelli, who is also global CEO of Leo, said: “I believe the reason this idea resonated with so many people is the contrast between its simplicity and its exponential impact.

“With just three words, we are pivoting millions of home insurance policies to make them more inclusive of a risk that affects women more than fires or floods. It serves as a reminder of the power of creativity. It proves that even the most common product, like a home insurance that hasn’t evolved in centuries, can be reinvented to make a difference.”

In second place was ‘Spreadbeats’, a B2B campaign created by FCB New York for Spotify, designed to showcase the platform’s advertising capabilities and return on investment.

Third place went to ‘Lap of Legends’, created by FCB New York and 160over90 for Michelob Ultra, which blended real and virtual racing through a partnership with Formula 1.

The number one creative agency globally was LePub Milan, which climbed from second place last year. The agency secured points from multiple campaigns, including work for Heineken.

Meanwhile, Serviceplan Munich ranked as the top independent agency, while Ogilvy retained its position as the top creative network globally for the sixth consecutive year, with 15 campaigns in the top 100.

WPP might be going through a major upheaval but it retained the number one position among holding companies for the fourth consecutive year, with three networks – Ogilvy, VML and AKQA – appearing in the top 50.

Among brands, Heineken took the top spot for creativity for the first time, after several years in the top ten, while Unilever secured the top position among advertisers for the first time, with multiple brands contributing to its ranking.

The US retained its position as the number one country for creativity, a ranking it has held since 2006, with 30 campaigns featured in the top 100. The UK ranked second, followed by Brazil in third place.

WARC Creative head of content Amy Rodgers said: “This celebrates the multi-award-winning campaigns and companies that are shaping the future of the marketing industry by using the power of creativity as a driver of differentiation and change. It’s a time to reflect on great work and the creative minds behind the campaigns, and be inspired by these successes.”