DDB Named Canada's No. 1 Creative Agency

VANCOUVER, TORONTO and EDMONTON, Canada, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- DDB Canada was named Canada's top creative agency, and its talent and clients ranked highly in the ad industry's annual Creative Report Card being released this week by Strategy, a leading Canadian marketing trade publication.  

DDB Canada ranked first in the Top Agency category in Strategy's roundup of the big award winners from across the country and around the globe. The agency's #1 ranking is based on what the magazine called "a whopping 144 awards this year" for numerous creative campaigns on behalf of clients such as BC Dairy Foundation, Subaru Canada, Midas, and the Canadian Tourism Commission.  

"Given this year's economic recession, being acknowledged as Canada's most acclaimed creative agency is a testament to DDB's passion, leadership and our driving belief that creativity, properly practiced, can be the most powerful force in business," says Frank Palmer, CEO and Chairman of DDB Canada. "Since 1997, Strategy's Creative Report Card has shown DDB to be the country's most consistently creative agency, continually producing more breakthrough, award-winning advertising than its competitors."

DDB Canada's creative work for its clients generated top honors at some of the industry's most respected award shows in Canada, including the Best of the Best trophy at the 2009 Canadian Marketing Awards, Best in Show at the ACE and BESSIE Awards, as well as internationally at the CLIOs, Cannes International Advertising Festival and the One Show, to name a few.

DDB Canada's creative talent from Vancouver and Toronto also peppered the top rankings of Strategy's Creative Report Card.  In the Top Creative Directors category, DDB showed its bench strength with five creative directors listed in the top twenty: Dean Lee (No. 3), Alan Russell (No. 6), Cosmo Campbell (No. 8), Andrew Simon (No. 13), and Daryl Gardiner ( No. 17).

In the Top Copywriter category, DDB creatives took three of the top 20 spots: Jeff Galbraith (No. 2), Matt Antonello (No. 8, and Kevin Rathgeber (No. 16).

The Top Art Director category features four people from DDB in the top twenty:  Daryl Gardiner (No. 2), Paul Riss (No. 11), Dan Strasser (No. 15), and Cosmo Campbell (No. 19).

DDB Canada's clients also figured prominently in the Top Client category, taking four of the 20 top spots. BC Dairy Foundation ranked fifth, Subaru Canada, eighth, The Looking Glass Foundation, twelfth, and Midas, fifteenth.  

"Sustained, superior creativity is DDB Canada's calling card, and our incredible track record and top ranking for 10 of the past 13 years is the hard proof that we are the dominant creative force in this country," said David Leonard, national president and COO of DDB Canada. "This year's massive margin shows what depth of talent we have in our three offices and the strength of our partnerships with great clients."

This year marks the tenth time that DDB Canada has achieved the No. 1 ranking in the Creative Report Card.  From 1997 to 2006 the agency was the No. 1 ranked creative agency.  DDB finished second in 2007 and 2008, and placed third in 2009.

Established in 1989, Strategy's Creative Report Card provides the Canadian marketing community with a ranking of the country's top agencies, clients and creative talent, based on awards show honors. Local, regional, national and international awards show results were used to calculate the winners.

About DDB Canada

Named Strategy's 2009 Agency of the Year and Top Creative Agency, DDB Canada is the most creatively acclaimed, internationally recognized marketing communications agency in Canada. Known for advertising that generates significant results for clients, DDB Canada is a total communications company whose fundamental belief is that creativity is the most powerful force in business. DDB Canada has offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal. The agency's integrated groups include: DDB Kid Think (youth marketing), DDB Public Relations, Tribal DDB (online and interactive), Karacters Design Group, Rapp Collins (direct), Radar DDB (social media marketing), and DDB Echology (corporate social responsibility).

About DDB

DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc. (www.ddb.com) is the largest consolidated advertising and marketing services global network in the world, according to Advertising Age. DDB also has been frequently ranked as the most awarded agency network in the world by Creativity magazine and The Gunn Report, among others. In 2009 DDB was named Global Network of the Year by Campaign magazine and Tribal DDB Digital Agency of the Year by Media. With more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, the DDB Group believes that creativity is the most powerful force in business, building enduring and powerful brand experiences that create TalkValue™, influence social communities and drive results. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).

SOURCE DDB Worldwide