What does an advertising agency do?

Advertising agencies develop campaign ideas and create the assets to bring them to market: strategy and planning, creative concept development, scriptwriting, art direction, production (film, photo, design), and media planning or buying. Some agencies own the full chain; others focus on creative and partner with production and media specialists.

How much does an ad campaign cost?

Integrated campaigns range from $200,000 for digital-first single-market work to $5m-$50m+ for global launches with broadcast film, OOH and continued content. Production costs typically outweigh agency fees 3-10x for film-heavy work.

Ad agency vs creative agency?

In practice these terms are interchangeable. Historically advertising agencies handled brand strategy and media, creative agencies focused on idea and craft. Today most top shops blur both.

Top Advertising Agencies 2026 · Best Creative Ad Agencies

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BBDO CA

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Currently No Client Rating

Advertising Agency

2

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DDB Group Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Currently No Client Rating

Advertising Agency

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MRM

Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Currently No Client Rating

Advertising Agency

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Cayenne Milano

Milano, Italy

Currently No Client Rating

Independent advertising agency based in Milan.

Advertising Agency

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Plenty

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Currently No Client Rating

Plenty is an Art and Motion Direction studio located in Buenos Aires that has stories to tell and messages to communicate. Our team of young professionals, which includes graphic designers, illustrators, 2D animators and 3D artists, has only one thing in mind: providing our clients with the best...

Advertising Agency

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FCB Canada

Toronto, Canada

Currently No Client Rating

At FCB, we're committed to doing more. Never Finished is our culture and our mantra. We're Never Finished improving, innovating, discovering, nurturing and — ultimately — creating. Never finished is what we believe in. It's who we are. It's a belief that what we do today, we can do better...

Advertising Agency

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Retroviral

Johannesburg, South Africa

Currently No Client Rating

Retroviral is an award-winning independent creative digital and communications agency that's made more brands go 'globally viral', than any other agency in Africa - based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Founded in 2010 by Chief Creative Officer Mike *, the agency is renowned for creating highly...

Advertising Agency
Creative
Automotive, FMCG, Finance

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Lup

Jakarta, Indonesia

Currently No Client Rating

We are cultivating and empowering impactful brands in this new era of possibilities. #CreativeAgency

Advertising Agency
Advertising
Advertising

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Brand Voice Agency

Middlesex

Currently No Client Rating

Brand * is a collective of senior copywriters and marketing strategists, skilled in creating the voice of a brand from scratch or as an evolution. We offer our Core Service (uncovering brand language, manifesto writing, TOV guidance) at £2000/week + VAT. We offer ongoing marketing and...

Advertising Agency
Advertising, Brand / Logo Design, Brand Stategy, Branding, Copywriting »»»
Accounting & Finance, Banking, Beauty, Branding, Consulting Services »»»

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Publicis London

London, United Kingdom

Currently No Client Rating

We are a creative company that builds future-fit brands. Publicis London is an award-winning UK creative agency with local and international clients including Heineken, Renault, Morrisons, Tourism Ireland, Procter & Gamble and Nestlé as well as recent additions; Lastminute and P&O Ferries....

Advertising Agency
Advertising
Advertising, Communications, Social Network / Community

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ABK CINEMA

Tbilisi, Georgia

Currently No Client Rating

ABK CINEMA is an Independent film production that creates and distributes Film and TV content.

Advertising Agency
Production
Production

HIRING

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Leo Burnett London

UK

Currently No Client Rating

As Leo himself once said: "At the end of the day, we're just people talking to people." And that sums up how we think. We never forget that on the other side of every screen, watching every ad or reading every tweet are people. Not just pairs of eyes with credit cards. But human beings, who want...

Advertising Agency

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The Brooklyn Brothers

London, United Kingdom

Currently No Client Rating

We're the earned-first advertising agency and a global network built for the modern world. From the outset, we built an agency capable of answering the needs of future-facing clients - those who demand big brand ideas without the heavy overheads of complex structures, multiple departments or the...

Advertising Agency
integrated creative agency
Automotive, Beverages, Tourism & Travel

2

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BBDO Atlanta

Atlanta, United States

Currently No Client Rating

Advertising Agency

Reel

Leo Burnett Colombia

Bogota, Colombia

Currently No Client Rating

Advertising Agency

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AKQA Berlin

Berlin, Germany

Currently No Client Rating

AKQA collaborates with many of the world's most respected clients, organisations and institutions, which makes us fortunate to receive notable recognition for the influence of our work and its ability to make a positive difference in people's lives. We also know it's only when our intentions, actions...

Advertising Agency
Brand Stategy, Campaign Planning, Digital Marketing, Experience Design, Experiential Marketing »»»
Advertising, Brand Management, Communications, Digital (SEO, PPC, SEM...), E-Commerce »»»