Brandwave

DDB vs McCann:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, McCann had more branded searches than DDB among creative agencies worldwide. McCann had about 49,500 branded searches, while DDB had 33,100. McCann made up 18% of all creative agency searches we track, and DDB accounted for 12%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about creative agencies, neither DDB nor McCann appeared in any of the four answers.

Among creative agencies worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

McCann, about 50% more searches than DDB

McCann 49.5K searchesDDB 33.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 0 of 4 answers.

DDB in 0 of 4McCann in 0 of 4

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Top creative agencies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, neither DDB nor McCann showed up in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Wieden+Kennedy1st
  2. Droga52nd
  3. Mother3rd
  4. Anomaly4th
  5. Ogilvy5th
  6. McCann–
  7. DDB–
  8. BBDO–
  9. Leo Burnett–
  10. TBWA–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Wieden+Kennedy2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Droga52 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Mother2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Anomaly2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Ogilvy1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • McCann0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • DDB0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • BBDO0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Leo Burnett0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • TBWA0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about creative agencies

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which creative agency should I hire?”

    1. Asked ChatGPT

      “What are the best creative agencies?”

      1. 1Wieden+Kennedy
      2. 2Anomaly
      3. 3Mother
      4. 4Droga5
      5. 5Ogilvy

    2. Asked ChatGPT

      “What's the best creative agency for brand campaigns?”

      1. 1Wieden+Kennedy
      2. 2Droga5
      3. 3Mother
      4. 4Anomaly

    3. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “creative agencies”

      Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

    4. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “branding agency”

      Not named in any answer:

      Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

      Is DDB or McCann more popular in search?

      This chart shows how often people search Google for DDB and McCann by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten creative agencies we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

      DDB and McCann among creative agencies worldwide, by month

      Share of searches by month for McCann, DDB. The figures are in the table below the chart.

      View monthly share of searches table
      MonthOgilvyMcCannDDBBBDOLeo BurnettTBWAWieden+KennedyDroga5MotherAnomaly
      Oct 202529%23.9%16%4.8%7.2%8.7%5.9%2.6%1.4%0.5%
      Nov 202529.2%19.5%16%5.8%8.7%8.7%7.2%2.6%1.7%0.52%
      Dec 202530.4%16.6%16.6%7.4%7.4%11.1%6.1%2.7%1.2%0.44%
      Jan 202630.6%16.8%13.7%7.5%9.2%9.2%7.5%3.4%1.5%0.64%
      Feb 202630.2%20.2%11%7.4%9%9%7.4%3.3%1.8%0.63%
      Mar 202629.8%16.3%13.3%7.3%8.9%8.9%8.9%4%1.8%0.79%
      Apr 202630.6%16.8%11.2%7.5%9.2%11.2%7.5%3.4%1.8%0.81%
      May 202631.7%17.3%11.6%6.3%7.8%11.6%7.8%3.5%1.9%0.56%
      Jun 202632.9%18%12%6.6%8.1%8.1%8.1%3.6%2%0.58%
      Jul 202630.1%20.1%13.5%7.4%7.4%7.4%7.4%4%2.2%0.65%
      Aug 202630.4%16.7%13.6%7.4%7.4%11.1%7.4%3.3%1.8%0.66%
      Sep 202632.9%18%12%8.1%8.1%8.1%6.6%3.6%2%0.58%

      How has the DDB and McCann comparison changed over the last 12 months?

      3 findings
      • McCann was ahead of DDB in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DDB’s share of searches among creative agencies worldwide moved from 16% to 12%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 33.1K.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McCann’s share of searches among creative agencies worldwide moved from 23.9% to 18%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 49.5K.

      How did search popularity change for creative agencies worldwide in September 2026?

      2 changes

      1. In September 2026, McCann gained share of searches among creative agencies worldwide, from 16.7% to 18%.

      2. In September 2026, DDB lost share of searches among creative agencies worldwide, from 13.6% to 12%.

      How are branded searches counted?

      2 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DDB’s and McCann’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

      DDB

      1 branded search term

      • ddb

      McCann

      1 branded search term

      • mccann

      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

      Other head-to-heads among creative agencies

      Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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