We don’t have a drum here at FCB Global HQ, so we’ll just go ahead and beat our chests to celebrate our incredible sweep at The Drum Awards Festival, as FCB has been named “Network Agency of the Year” for 2024!
The accolade follows a stellar performance from FCB teams in Canada, Chicago, India, London, and New York collaborating to win 36 Awards including the coveted Editor’s Choice Award and the Chair’s Awards in Digital Experience and Content, as well as three Grands Prix, 17 Gold, four Silver, and nine Bronze. FCB’s dominant performance also played an integral role in our holding company, IPG, being named “Holding Company of the Year” at the show.
Over the course of the Festival, The Drum’s editorial team was keeping a close eye on the winners to decide the recipient of the Editor’s Choice Award to a standout piece of work from across the Festival, and we’re proud to say FCB Chicago’s “The Last Barf Bag” campaign for Dramamine took home this top prize. On awarding the work, Cameron Clarke, Global Editor at The Drum said: “The work is truly original, courageously long form, funny and thoughtful in a category that’s seldom recognized for its wit and charm. It’s born out of a fantastic insight and is an inspired idea from a very successful agency this year, but we must also pay tribute to the client for backing an idea that would’ve undoubtedly taken them out of their comfort zone.”
“The Last Barf Bag” also took home the Grand Prix and three Gold in Advertising (Creative Humor, Healthcare & Pharma and Integrated Campaigns), as well as the Grand Prix and two Gold in Content (Healthcare & Pharma and Integrated).
The wildly innovative “Lap of Legends” campaign for AV InBev’s Michelob ULTRA, from FCB New York, was also highly awarded across the Festival, winning the Chair’s Award and one Gold in in Content (Sports); two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze in Digital Experience (for Best AR/VR Experience and Culture/Leisure, Entertainment, and Innovation respectively); and two Bronze in Advertising (Interactive/Sensory and Use of AR/VR). The campaign pitted Logan Sargeant, the Formula 1 racing superstar, facing off against six of history’s greatest Williams Racing team legends in the world’s first real vs. virtual F1 race.
FCB New York’s “Spreadbeats” campaign for Spotify brought in the Chair’s Award and one Gold in Digital Experience (B2B); the Grand Prix and one Gold in Design (Technical Achievement); one Gold in Content (B2B); Silver in B2B (Email); and Bronze in Advertising (Creative Innovation). The campaign saw FCB New York hack the most analytical part of the media planning experience – the media plan itself – and create the first ever music video coded entirely in a spreadsheet.
FCB Canada’s heart-warming “Runner 321” campaign for adidas – which celebrates the life of Chris Nickic, an Ironman triathlete, marathon runner and the first adidas-sponsored athlete with Down syndrome – won two Gold and one Bronze in Social Purpose (Inclusivity & Diversity and PR for Good, and Social Media for Good).
The ambitious and timely “Banned Book Club” project for the Digital Public Library of America, from FCB Chicago, won two Gold in Social Purpose (Charity/Not for Profit and Digital for Good). The campaign provided free, virtual libraries in regions across the United States where book bans have been instituted.
The truly groundbreaking “Inployable” project for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society – work that saw FCB Canada unveil the first-ever employment network for people with Down syndrome on LinkedIn – took home one Gold and one Silver in Social Purpose (Social Media For Good and Inclusivity & Diversity).
FCB Canada also scored three awards for their work for BMO. “NXT LVL” won Gold in Social Media (Finance) and Bronze in Media (Innovation/ Disruption in Media), while “Bills Paid On Time” won Bronze in Social Media (Finance). Plus, the agency’s “Ticket to Dream” campaign for Air Canada, a powerful brand spot celebrating Team Canada's heroic journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, won Silver in Advertising (Online Video - Long Form).
FCB Kinnect’s “Lulumelon EOSS” work for HDFC Bank – a clever campaign that reminded people of the harsh reality of online fraud – took home Bronze in PR (Finance), thanks to the way they harnessed deepfake technology to transform their anti-fraud influencer, Vigil Aunty (Anuradha Menon or popularly known as Lola Kutty), into actor Nora Fatehi.
And to round-out the wins, FCB London’s “Get Comfortable” campaign for the UK’s leading brand of toilet paper, Kimberly-Clark’s Andrex, won Bronze in Advertising (Creative Transformation). The work leveraged humor and real-life scenarios to shift the narrative from toilet embarrassment to openness, promoting healthier toilet habits and attitudes as a result.
The Drum Awards celebrate the very best work, companies and people from the world of marketing and media across every sector, discipline and channel. We're so proud of the work from our teams, our five incredible agencies and our amazing client partners that contributed to this fantastic performance.