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A-List & Creativity Awards 2025
Weber Shandwick Collective is a Standout on Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List
By Ewan Larkin. Published on March 10, 2025.
Weber Shandwick Collective is driving growth for brands including Kellanova. From left to right: Jim O’Leary, global president and North America CEO; Susan Howe, global CEO; and Karen Pugliese, global president. Credit: Weber Shandwick
The combination of food and fun is proving a fruitful strategy for the Weber Shandwick Collective, which over the past year has propelled snacking giant Kellanova to marketing excellence.
The Interpublic Group of Cos. agency was behind several outstanding campaigns for the company, including the “edible mascot” effort for Pop-Tarts, which won the Brand Experience & Activation Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The stunt drew significant earned media attention and, more importantly, the agency said it helped sell more than 21 million Pop-Tarts.
The Pop-Tarts mascot dancing at the Pop-Tarts Bowl in December 2023. Credit: Weber Shandwick Collective
For Kellanova-owned brand Cheez-It—which was one of Ad Age’s Hottest Brands in 2024—Weber Shandwick Collective partnered with Triggerhouse to build a week-long pop-up diner in upstate New York. The activation drew more than 10,000 attendees from 40 states, raking in $122,000 in net sales, according to the agency.
In recognition of its efforts, Kellanova broadened Weber Shandwick Collective’s influencer and creative remit. The agency is known for communications and PR, but it is steadily expanding into other capabilities. Without providing specific figures, it said creative and influencer work each grew by significant double-digits.
On the new business front, Weber Shandwick Collective snagged assignments for Samsung Home Entertainment, 5-hour Energy, Skrewball Whiskey and Eventbrite. It also expanded its duties for Kimberly-Clark and with Anheuser-Busch InBev, for which it serves as global corporate reputation agency of record.
Weber Shandwick Collective also launched campaigns to advocate for public health issues. For MSI Reproductive Choices, the agency developed a “Vagina Privacy Network,” featuring a free, secure web browser to better protect those seeking reproductive health information. The initiative resulted in a 107% increase in donations compared to the same period a year prior, the shop said.
Reprinted with permission from Ad Age. © 2025 Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
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