FCB New York Named Agency of the Year Across Four Global Shows
From left to right: FCB New York CCO Michael Aimette, CEO Emma Armstrong, CSO Todd Sussman [Photo Credit: Peter Hurley]
FCB New York has pulled off a rare creative feat: earning four Agency of the Year honours at The One Show, ADC Awards, Clio Awards, and D&AD in a single week.
This year marks back-to-back Agency of the Year wins from both The One Show and ADC Awards, and follows their Agency of the Year title at the Clio Awards in 2023. The wins signal more than a hot streak - they reflect the agency’s long-term strategy coming to full fruition and a creative model that’s delivering year after year.
Across the shows, FCB New York’s breakout work for Spotify and Michelob ULTRA emerged as the creative high points of the season, not just for their originality and exceptional craft, but for how each campaign solved real business challenges in distinctive ways. That effectiveness was further recognised with Effie Award wins for Spotify, including a Grand Effie contender spot.
From a music video built entirely inside a spreadsheet with Spotify’s 'Spreadbeats' to a boundary-blurring showdown between real drivers and their digital selves for Michelob ULTRA’s 'Lap of Legends,' FCB New York’s approach pushes beyond familiar answers into ideas that are unexpected, distinctive, and true. 'Spreadbeats' and 'Lap of Legends' felt inevitable in hindsight, but they broke convention in ways that felt fresh and right - true to the brand, true to the audience, unmistakably theirs.
“We’ve spent the last several years building the kind of agency we’ve always wanted to work at - one that treats creativity like a team sport, where everyone shares, collaborates, learns, and raises the bar together,” said Emma Armstrong, CEO, FCB New York. “To me, a great agency is one that’s firing on all cylinders, making strong, smart work for every client, with a culture and model built to sustain it. These wins are a reflection of that and the incredibly talented team behind it all.”
In total, the agency earned over 200 awards across the four shows, including multiple Best of Show honours and an elusive Black Pencil at D&AD.
“It’s about partnership. The kind where you’re in it together, with clients who share our creative ambition and trust us to stretch further,” said Michael Aimette, chief creative officer, FCB New York. “Our philosophy has always been: if we keep raising the creative floor on the work for every client, the ceiling naturally gets higher and higher. Awards aren’t the goal; they’re an outcome of trying to make the best work we can, every time.”
Award Highlights
CLIO AWARDS: Agency of the Year, six Grand wins, 43 total awards
FCB New York took home six Grand Clios - the most of any agency - along with nine Gold, nine Silver, and 10 Bronze awards.
Spotify’s 'Spreadbeats' had the most Grand wins overall, within four categories: Creative Use of Data, Design, Design Craft, and Direct.
Michelob ULTRA’s 'Lap of Legends' won two Grands in the Creative Use of Data and Digital/Mobile categories.
ADC AWARDS: Agency of the Year, Black Cube, four Best of Discipline wins, 42 total awards
FCB New York’s 'Spreadbeats' for Spotify earned the coveted Black Cube for Best of Show.
The agency also secured four Best of Discipline wins across these categories:
- Advertising: 'Spreadbeats' for Spotify
- Artificial Intelligence: 'Lap of Legends' for AB InBev - Michelob ULTRA
- Experiential Design: 'Spreadbeats' for Spotify
- Interactive: 'Spreadbeats' for Spotify
FCB New York led the world in ADC Gold Cube wins this year with 13, including eight for 'Spreadbeats' and five for 'Lap of Legends.'
Other wins include 10 Silver, seven Bronze, and six Merits–making FCB New York the most awarded agency globally in Gold wins at ADC this year.
THE ONE SHOW: Agency of the Year, Best of Show, 35 Gold Pencils, 93 total wins
FCB New York racked up 93 wins - including 35 Gold Pencils, the highest number awarded to any agency this year. With 18 Silvers, nine Bronzes, and 23 Merits, FCB New York was named the world’s top agency in The One Show Global Creative Rankings for the second consecutive year.
FCB New York’s clients also topped the rankings, with Spotify named Brand of the Year and AB InBev took Client of the Year.
'Spreadbeats' for Spotify led the show as the most awarded entry, winning 28 Gold Pencils across 13 disciplines, including Design, Interactive, Direct, and Creative Use of Data, as well as 10 Silver, five Bronze, and 10 Merits.
'Lap of Legends' added another seven Gold Pencils across categories such as Branded Entertainment, Creative Use of Technology, and Experiential.
D&AD AWARDS: Agency of the Year, coveted Black Pencil, 26 total Pencils
FCB New York was also named Agency of the Year at D&AD, widely considered the highest bar for creative originality and craft.
The agency earned a rare Black Pencil for Spotify’s 'Spreadbeats' - one of only three Black Pencils awarded globally this year. Reserved for work that is truly ground breaking, a Black Pencil represents the highest level of creative achievement at D&AD.
'Spreadbeats' was also honoured with three Yellow Pencils and a mix of Graphite and Wood Pencils across categories spanning Digital Design, Art Direction, Animation, and PR - highlighting both the concept’s innovation and the craft behind it.
'Lap of Legends' picked up 10 Pencils across categories like Use of Emerging Technology, Experiential, and Gaming & Virtual Worlds, further demonstrating the campaign’s creative and technical ambition.
Together, the work showed up across disciplines - and stood out for reimagining how brands connect through tech, storytelling, and cultural relevance.
EFFIE AWARDS: Grand Effie contender
FCB New York won multiple Gold and Silver awards at the Effie Awards, a program that sets the bar for marketing effectiveness worldwide. Notably, Spotify’s 'Spreadbeats' was named a contender for the Grand Effie, a shortlist distinction for the most effective work of the year.
