ICA Launches Creative Power List 2024 Showcasing Canada’s Most Awarded Agencies

The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) has published its Creative Power List 2024, the definitive ranking of agencies in Canada based on their performance at major domestic and international creative awards in the previous year. 

For the third year running, independent agency Rethink tops the Creative Power List, a ranking of 104 agencies that was created in collaboration with auditing partner Grant Thornton LLP. The full Creative Power List 2024 is available here. 

Rethink's award-winning highlights included the capture of Gold Cannes Lions for Kraft Heinz and Decathlon, plus work for IKEA, Penguin Random House, and Scotiabank. 

Based on a strict methodology that covers awards success in only the most prestigious schemes, the Creative Power List 2024 reveals significant changes elsewhere in the top 10 ranking of agencies.  

BBDO Canada leaps an impressive eight places to 2nd, while FCB rises one spot to 3rd. Awards recognition for BBDO included a swathe of Cannes Lions and D&AD awards for its 'Missing Matoaka' campaign for Muskrat Magazine, while FCB's awards recognition was based on work for adidas, which landed a Cannes Grand Prix, Bank of Montreal, LOTTO MAX, and Voilà. 

Meanwhile, Performance Art, which was new to the Creative Power List in 2023, rises four places to 4th in the rankings. Its standout work included campaigns for Black & Abroad and BMW.  

An impressive feature of 2024's list is the large number of new agency entrants, with 50 agencies not featured in 2023 making the rankings, led by Klick Health and Angry Butterfly in 5th and 6th places respectively.  

The biggest climbers in the rankings are Touché!, up 76 places to 35th, and Dentsu Creative, climbing 57 spots to 13th. 

Alongside the agency Creative Power List, the ICA has also published a similar ranking of brands that have achieved awards success. Muskrat Magazine (agency BBDO Canada) sits in top spot, followed by Kraft Heinz (Rethink), Penguin Random House (Rethink), Bank of Montreal (FCB), and Black & Abroad (Performance Art). 

The Creative Power List 2024 is based on a strong and transparent methodology, applied rigorously by auditors at Grant Thornton LLP, to arrive at a definitive ranking of the best-performing agencies in Canada. Its scoring system embraces success at six international awards that really count - Cannes Lions, CLIO, D&AD, Effie Awards, Immortal Awards, and The One Show - alongside four prestigious national shows - ADCC Awards, CMA Awards, Effie Awards Canada, and Marketing Awards. 

Scott Knox, president and CEO of the ICA, said, "Congratulations to all the agencies that feature in the Creative Power List 2024. What really stands out this year is the strong impact that Canadian creativity is making on the global stage at prestigious events including Cannes Lions and D&AD. This world class performance provides strong evidence of the dynamism and diversity of Canada's agency sector. It's also exciting to see so many new agency entrants to the Creative Power List in 2024, a sure sign of the depth and breadth of creativity in the market."