Opinion: Perspective - WPP in no doubt it must have creativity at its core.

Omnicom rules at the top of the new Gunn Report on the world's most creative networks. OK, that's hugely predictable, but it is also wonderfully timely as its rival WPP's creative credentials come uncomfortably under the spotlight.

TBWA is the world's most creatively awarded network according to Gunn, followed by BBDO then DDB. Sweet hat-trick. Publicis Groupe claims the next two slots with Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett, and finally one of WPP's four creative networks - Ogilvy & Mather - makes it to number six, with JWT coming in at number nine.

Actually, when you think about it, these aren't bad rankings for either of the WPP giants (and even Grey scraped into the Top 20). JWT has been bounding up the table in recent years (from 15th in 2000). Mind you, if the new HSBC work (slashed of any of the warmth, style and humour of its Lowe-originated predecessor) is any reflection of the agency's new creative philosophy, then the chances of it leaping higher up the rankings are far from certain.

Meanwhile O&M, although it has slipped two places this year, makes a respectable showing that will surprise anyone who scrutinises only its European work; the Asian offices continue to be O&M's real creative powerhouse and shore up the network's creative credentials. But for the WPP chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, surveying the latest rankings will surely only add fuel to his reported concerns about the creative standards of his agencies. When the WPP network heads met recently in New York for an annual pow-wow with Sorrell, they were left in no doubt that improving creativity had to be a priority.

And nascent signs that WPP might be about to get itself a lean, keen creative micro-network in the form of United seem already to be crumbling. New York's Berlin Cameron - the creative heart-beat of United - has been WPP's most notable creative firepower over the past few years.

Perhaps that ...