Advertising Age Names McGarryBowen Agency of the Year, Releases Annual Agency A-List

NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Advertising Age has released its Agency A-List, the publication's annual ranking of the best agencies in the business.

For 2011, Agency of the Year is McGarryBowen, with offices in New York and Chicago. The firm, owned by Japanese ad giant Dentsu, won the same honor in 2009. It succeeds Portland, Ore.-based Wieden & Kennedy, which earned the title in 2010.

Rounding out the A-List are Droga5, an independent; Omnicom Group's BBDO; Publicis Groupe's Razorfish; MDC Partners' 72andSunny; Omnicom Group's Alma; WPP's Grey; Edelman, an independent; Interpublic Group of Cos.' Huge; and Havas' Arnold.

"This list, in its diversity of discipline, represents the changing nature of the advertising business," Ad Age Editor Abbey Klaassen said. "It also highlights the difference that a smart marketing and advertising partner can make in a company's business. Each agency on the list was selected not only for its creativity and performance, but also for its ability to make an impact on a client's business."

Additionally, Advertising Age acknowledges the efforts of 10 "Standouts" that should be on anybody's short list of top agencies, as well as 10 "Agencies to Watch," which are the companies Ad Age bets will perform well in 2012.

Standouts include Dentsu-owned 360i; Translation, an independent; Interpublic Group's Deutsch; WPP's Ogilvy; Omnicom Group's EVB; Publicis Groupe's Conill; Interpublic Group's Mullen; Publicis' Starcom; MDC Partners' KBS&P; and Profero, an independent.

The list of agencies to watch include seven independents: BFG9000, Rokkan, La Comunidad, Mother, Merkle, Golin Harris and Muhtayzik Hoffer; Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett; WPP's Maxus; and WPP's VML.

Ad Age also honored Omnicom Group's TBWA/Hakuhodo as International Agency of the Year; Omnicom Group's OMD as Media Agency of the Year; Omnicom Group-backed Latinworks as Multicultural Agency of the Year;  Omnicom Group's Organic as Comeback Agency of the Year; and Horizon Media CEO Bill Koenigsberg as Agency Executive of the Year.

"In an increasingly crowded market, it can be difficult for agencies to distinguish themselves," noted Agency Editor Rupal Parekh. "But the shops recognized as part of Ad Age's A-List issue are industry leaders. These agencies are financially healthy, highly innovative when it comes to problem-solving for clients and magnets for the best talent in the business." 

Droga5 always won top honors as Creativity Agency of the Year for conceiving and crafting excellent work for a broad spectrum of clients. Other standouts on the Creativity A-List include AKQA; BBDO, New York; BBH, London; BBH, New York; CP&B, Boulder, Colo.; Del Campo Nazca, Saatchi & Saatchi, Buenos Aires; Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco; 72andSunny, Los Angeles; Wieden & Kennedy, London; and Wieden & Kennedy, Portland.

Other previous winners of the Ad Age Agency of the Year include Ogilvy (2001), Deutsch (2002), Berlin Cameron (2003), CP&B (2004), BBDO (2005), The Consumer (2006), Goodby Silverstein & Partners (2007), CP&B (2008), McGarryBowen (2009), and Wieden & Kennedy (2010).

The full write-ups can be found online at AdAge.com. To celebrate the accomplishments of the shops honored in its A-List issue, Ad Age will host a cocktail party on March 6  in New York City. Register now at adage.com/alistparty.

SOURCE Advertising Age