WPP Wins Big at Cannes Lions Amid Elevate 28 Strategy

WPP has emerged as a clear winner of the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity after being awarded 140 Lions – making it the most awarded media group at the festival for a second year in a row.

These awards spanned one Titanium Lion – which it received for its ‘Oreo Cows’ campaign  – seven Grand Prix, 29 Gold, 40 Silver and 63 Bronze. 

Its Ogilvy and VML agencies were also named number one and number two Creative Network of the Year, while its global public relations division Burson London was named PR agency of the year. 

“Across the festival, our agencies brought home 140 Lions, including a Titanium Lion and 7 Grand Prix,” says Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP. “This isn't just about awards; it's about delivering brave, ambitious work that drives real growth for our clients. From Oreo's Titanium-winning campaign that boosted sales by 12%, to the clever AI in VML Poland's Grand Prix-winning work for Wisła Kraków, our work is making a tangible impact.”

Working with ‘brave’ clients

WPP’s awarded work covers partnerships from more than 25 countries – with clients such as KitKat, Adidas, Vaseline and IKEA ranking within the top 10 creative brands of the year. 

This work includes a highly publicised campaign developed by VML, Burson London and OpenMind after more than 12 tonnes of KitKat chocolate bars were stolen. The campaign, which received the PR Grand Prix award, involved the launch of a ‘Stolen KitKat Tracker’ – which led to 29 million daily views for KitKat, compared to an average of one million. 

“Great work needs brave clients, and this year's winners are proof of that magical partnership,” says Rob Reilly, Global Chief Creative Officer of WPP. “From hijacking the Super Bowl in real time, to turning a supply chain disaster into a global brand moment, every one of these campaigns started with a client saying yes. That courage, combined with the ingenuity of our people, is what makes the difference. Congratulations to all our teams, and to the fearless clients who cleared the path.”

Big wins following a strategic shift

WPP’s win at Cannes follows the launch of the company’s Elevate 28 strategy in early 2026, which has been created to simplify the company’s client proposition and restore organic growth. 

The launch of this strategy followed a 6.7% decline in revenue in Q1 2026, and involves a shift in company structure as WPP looks to simplify its business by offering solutions through four core operating units – WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise solutions. 

“This is the new WPP in action,” Cindy said. “Our integrated model proves that when our amazing creative, media, production and PR talent work together, we deliver client success.”

This is also the first Cannes Lions with Cindy Rose as CEO, who took on the role in September 2025. Having joined from a role as Chief Operating Officer, Global Enterprise for Microsoft, Cindy’s appointment came as part of efforts to restore WPP’s growth – with her former Microsoft role involving her working with some of the world’s largest companies to use AI and digital technologies to drive business transformation. 

Mark Read, the company’s former CEO saw stock price reduce by more than 50% across his seven-year tenure. 

“There are so many opportunities ahead for WPP,” Cindy said of her appointment. “We have and continue to build market-leading AI capabilities, alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list. WPP has the most brilliant, talented, creative people and I can't wait to write the company's next chapter together.”