WARC has released its rankings for 2021, and three Canadian campaigns have found themselves on this year’s Creative 100 list, with two from Cossette finding their way into the Effective 100.

Through its own methodology, WARC compiles its scores based on performance in top international and regional awards programs. The Effective 100, more specifically, tracks results from awards and categories that recognize campaigns for their measurable results and business impact. These rankings cover award shows from 2021, many of which had two-year eligibility periods due to cancellations in 2020.

On the Creative 100, the top Canadian campaign was Ogilvy’s “Courage Is Beautiful” for Dove, the much-awarded and recognized campaign the zeroed in on frontline workers and the bravery they exhibited, especially in the early days of the pandemic. Created in collaboration with Ogilvy London, the campaign was 12th on the list.

Close behind in 13th was “Project Understood” by FCB Canada for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society and Google, which aimed to improve the way AI and voice recognition systems recognized the voices of those with speech differences.

Rounding out the Canadian entries on the list was BBDO Toronto’s “Parkscapes” in 23rd. The campaign, created for the Regent Park School of Music, enlisted the school’s students to create an album of sample tracks. Any royalties generated by the songs – or songs that sampled them, as Taylor Swift did – are sent back to the school’s programs, effectively creating a fundraiser that will last as long as the songs are played or streamed.

All three agencies helped their respective parent networks and holding companies on WARC’s overall rankings this year. Ogilvy was the most awarded agency network, followed by BBDO. At the holding company level, WPP took the top spot, followed by Omnicom and IPG.

On the Effective 100, Cossette had the only two Canadian campaigns to earn recognition. The first was the long-running “VS.” platform for SickKids, which landed in 27th, while the other was the “Friends Wanted” campaign that tied McDonald’s recruitment efforts to friends looking to work together, which came in 44th.