Monty, an AI predictive commentator developed for Foxtel by Mindshare Sydney, is the most celebrated campaign for media excellence of 2019, according to the WARC Media 100, announced today, while Starcom Chicago tops the media agency ratings.

The Media 100 Ranking is produced by combining the results of the industry’s most important global and regional media award shows tracked throughout 2019, as determined by the WARC Rankings Advisory Board and a worldwide industry survey.

With Monty, a predictive AI commentator able to forecast when wickets would fall in live games, Australian pay TV network Foxtel ran a game-changing campaign to encourage people to pay to watch cricket, a product they had previously enjoyed for free. When Monty predicted a wicket, it triggered mobile display ads, pre-roll video and OOH to get people to watch, delivering an average weekly sales increase of 18%.

“It shows the power of provocation, one of our core values at Mindshare,” said Katie Rigg-Smith, CEO, Mindshare Australasia. “It sees a great consumer insight married with powerful AI that delivered innovation and real outcomes. Credit to Jack Smyth and the team for dreaming it up, the Foxtel and the Fox Sports team who were bold enough to back it and our partners at Google.”

In second place is The First Colonel to Conquer eSports, by Mindshare Shanghai, which strengthened KFC’s relationship with gamers in China by integrating itself in League of Legends.

In third, The Adaptive Data Lighthouse by Mindshare Mumbai for soap brand Lifebuoy, targeted people in rural India who are at most risk of infections preventable by good hand hygiene.

Top 10 world’s most awarded campaigns for media


Starcom Chicago is ranked #1 media agency, having climbed up from #20 last year. Campaigns for Samsung Galaxy, Vans, NBA on ESPN and The North Face, all ranked in the top 100, driving the agency to the top of the table. Mindshare Shanghai improved its rank by one place, up to second this year, with work for KFC, Maybelline and Lay’s ranked in the top 30 campaigns. Mindshare Sydney follows in third place, up from 12th last year, largely driven by Monty, the top ranked campaign.

Kathy Ring – CEO, Starcom USA, Starcom, said: “It’s an honour to be named to WARC’s Media 100 list. It reinforces that Starcom’s Human Experience approach – putting the consumer at the forefront based on astute analytics and insights and arresting creativity – changes behaviour that drives business outcomes for our clients.”

Top 10 world’s most awarded agencies for media


Mindshare Worldwide claims top position as the most awarded Network, improving its rank from 3rd last year. The media network had 27 different agencies contributing to its total points, eight of them in the top 50; and an impressive 16 campaigns ranked in the top 100. MediaCom drops down to second place and IPG Mediabrands is up one place to third.

WPP continues its run at the top of the media holding companies ranking, driven by the strong performance of its Mindshare Worldwide network, together with a further ten networks in the top 50. Omnicom Group retains its second position, as does Interpublic Group in third.

Top 10 world’s most awarded networks for media


Top 10 world’s most awarded holding companies for media


A strong performance in Asia helped fast food retailer KFC top the brand rankings this year, with two campaigns in the top 100, including #2 campaign, The First Colonel to Conquer eSports.

Foxtel improved its rank from sixth last year to second this year and Lifebuoy moves up from 13th to second place. Three brands entered the top 50 for the first time: Sport Chek / Canadian Tire goes straight in at #7, and digital disrupter, Uber Eats and Uber rank #9 and #10 respectively.

Unilever hit the top of the advertiser’s table this year. The FMCG giant has three brands in the top 50 – Lifebuoy, P/S, Knorr – with a further 25 brands contributing to its success. Yum! Brands follow in second place and Procter & Gamble in third.

Top 10 world’s most awarded brands for media


Top 10 world’s most awarded advertisers for media


Top 10 world’s most awarded countries for media


USA retains its top country rank for a third year with 22 campaigns in the top 100, three of which made the top 10. Australia improved its rank by one place to take second place, with 10 campaigns within the top 100. China jumps from 6th to third place with 11 campaigns. 

Sourced from WARC