WPP named as Cannes Lions Holding Company of the Year with wins for R/GA, Droga5 & Ogilvy & Mather
WPP has been named as Holding Company of the Year for a fifth consecutive time at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Ogilvy and Mather, part of the WPP group, was also named as Network of the Year for the fourth time in as many years.
R/GA was named as Agency of the year, Droga5 as Independent Agency of the Year and the Grand Prix for Good was given to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, said: “We are delighted to have made it a quintuplet (or should I say quintuplé?) of wins in Cannes. The holding company award is special because it is a shared achievement, reflecting the hard work, passion and commitment of every member of the WPP family. A big thank you to our agencies and all the hugely talented and creative people within them.
“However, this week of celebration has been overshadowed by loss and sadness for many people after the untimely deaths of two colleagues and friends during the festival. On behalf of WPP I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to everyone affected by these tragic events.”
Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide chief creative officer at Ogilvy & Mather, said: “Four in a row! We are overwhelmed with gratitude. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the bravery of our clients and the creativity of our teams around the world. Thank you to our clients, our people, the Judges and Cannes Lions.”
WPP finished ahead of Omnicom and Publicis respectively to be named Holding Company of the Year.
Meanwhile, Bob Greenberg, founder of R/GA received the Lifetime of St Mark prize.
Nick Law, global chief creative officer for R/GA, said: "We are so honored to be named agency of the year and so proud of Bob receiving the Lion of Saint Mark.
"It is really interesting that the work that led to this honor is as multi-disciplinary as Bob's own career. With wins in outdoor, cyber, film, product design, and innovation, R/GA is showing just how versatile creativity can be," he added.