The AdNews Agency of the Year Award 2025 finalists have been revealed.
The awards recorded a double-digit increase in entries for a consecutive year, with several highly contested categories across agencies and campaigns.
The award winners, judged by senior marketers and CMOs from across Australia, will be announced at a long lunch ceremony February 19, 2025, at Doltone House, Sydney.
Purchase your tickets here before they sell out.
The finalists are:
Creative Agency of the Year - Sponsored by Pinterest
BMF
Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
Howatson+Company
Special
Thinkerbell
Media Agency of the Year - Sponsored by PubMatic
Avenue C
Hearts & Science
Match & Wood
Mindshare
PHD Australia
Spark Foundry Australia
Yango
Zenith Media
Independent Agency of the Year - Sponsored by Reddit
Avenue C
HERO
Howatson+Company
Nunn Media
Special
Thinkerbell
Small Agency of the Year (Headcount under 25)
Aruga
Equality Media + Marketing
Poem
Rumble Strategic Creative
Supermassive
Digital Agency of the Year - Sponsored by Integral Ad Science
Orchard
Digitas
Reload Media
WiredCo.
PR Agency of the Year
Havas Red
Herd MSL
Poem
Thinkerbell
WiredCo.
Ad Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by Spotify
Go A Little Extra (BMF)
Kia Tasman Launch (Innocean Australia)
The ad that could only be seen on SBS (Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song)
Toyota HiLux 'In a Pickle' (Saatchi & Saatchi Australia & Spark Foundry Australia)
Uber Eats - Get Almost Almost Anything (Special)
HBO Max Aussie Launch (Special)
Media Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by Magnite
BYD: Challenger to Champion (Yango)
Hyundai: The Big Trip (Innocean)
Macca's Squid Game Meal - Dare to Play? (OMD & Akcelo)
MESHKI - Real Time Runway (This is Flow)
Specsavers Welcome to Melbourne (TBWA\Melbourne)
Small Budget Media Campaign of the Year (Less than $500,000)
Kitchen Warehouse: Mum-nipulate The Algorithm (Hatched and Special)
Lady Jayne: Unshakeable Hair Confidence (Wavemaker)
Unjarring the Category with Providore d’Italia (OMD & OMD Create)
Banner Ad Change Room (Dentsu Creative)
UNICEF Appeal Appeal (Howatson+Company)
Australia’s biggest new brand launch of 2025 - Wingstop Australia (Hello)
Social Media Campaign of the Year
Bonds - Made For Down Under (Special)
The Comments Section (Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song)
Lamb. The Ultimate Social Device (Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song)
Shift 20 Initiative: Shift 20 Casting Call (Special, TikTok & PHD Australia)
Dove “Real Beauty Unfiltered” (Mindshare)
Australia’s biggest new brand launch of 2025 - Wingstop Australia (Hello)
Regional Media Campaign of the Year - Sponsored by ACM
Us Without Abuse (Longreach Media)
Primo salami sticks (Avenue C)
TasWater – Water Conservation (Showpony)
Toyota 'Signs of Support' (Saatchi & Saatchi Australia & Spark Foundry Australia)
Best Influencer Campaign
The Week Long Layover (Connecting Plots Group)
The KitKat Break Chair (OpenMind/VML/Eleven)
Samsung Packed Full of History (Clemenger BBDO)
Hey Drake, This Yours? (It’s Friday)
Hello & U By Kotex remove period taboo for millions of women with Flex Mami 'Conversation Cards' (Hello, We Are Different )
Best Use of Data in Campaign Planning - Sponsored by Blis
Escape Your Pricey Telco (Avenue C)
Turning Local Intelligence into National Impact for Diageo (Hearts & Science)
Kitchen Warehouse: Mum-nipulate The Algorithm (Hatched & Special)
Best Use of Content
McDonald's x Squid Game: Dare to Play (Akcelo x OMD)
Healthier Ways (Dentsu Creative)
The ad that could only be seen on SBS (Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song)
Stop It At The Start (Nine/UM)
Made for Down Under (Special)
True North: Our Immersive Journeys (Today the Brave)
Brand Partnership Award
UNICEF Appeal Appeal (Howatson+Company)
Solo by MYOB – ‘Still Rolling’ (iProspect)
New Balance: Winning the Culture Game at the Australian Open (Mediahub)
Ford Hoop Dreams (Mindshare)
Uber Eats - Get Almost Almost Anything, Maybe Even Andy Murray (Special)
JACK DANIEL’S x McLAREN – JACK’S RIDES (We are Different, Zoo Republic)
Social Responsibility/Pro Bono Award
Change Direction (Apparent)
MND Australia - Show We Care (Avenue C)
Deep Rising: The Campaign That Protected the Planet From a Hidden Invasion (Emotive)
UNICEF Appeal Appeal (Howatson+Company)
Shift 20 Initiative: Shift 20 Casting Call (Special, TikTok & PHD Australia)
A Happier 10th Birthday | Raise the Age NSW (Tag, Carat)
The Game Changer Award - sponsored by Perion
The ad that could only be seen on SBS (Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song)
36 Months (FINCH & Supermassive)
triple j - Rejenerated (Howatson+Company)
Macca's Squid Game Meal - Dare to Play? (OMD & Akcelo)
Plus Also Studios (Plus Also Studios)
Shift 20 Initiative: Shift 20 Casting Call (Special, TikTok & PHD Australia)
Best Transformation Strategy
ATime&Place
IPG Mediabrands Australia
Plus Also Studios
Best Use of AI and Technology - Sponsored by Snapchat
Mastercard Transit Tales (Hero)
Instax Mindography (Hero)
triple j - Rejenerated (Howatson+Company)
Plus Also Studios x Endeavour Group (Plus Also Studios)
Employer of the Year (Headcount over 75)
Apparent
BMF
Howatson+Company
WPP Media
Employer of the Year (Headcount under 75)
Avenue C
Equality Media + Marketing
The Media Store
WiredCo.
Marketing Team of the Year - Sponsored by Boomtown
Allianz
Domain
Endeavour Group
Bonds
Nescafe
Uber Eats ANZ
Sales Team of the Year
Foxtel Media
News Australia
Nine Perth
SCA
Veridooh
The AdNews Effectiveness Award - Sponsored by StackAdapt
A Help Company: How NRMA Insurance made Help its whole business. (Accenture Song)
Grimace’s Very Important Purple Tour (Akcelo)
Got You Looking (Dentsu Creative)
How Lamb got Australians out of the comments and into the cutlets (Droga5 ANZ)
Toyota HiLux 'In a Pickle' (Saatchi & Saatchi Australia & Spark Foundry Australia)
Uber Eats - Get Almost Almost Anything (Special)
AdNews would like to thank our sponsors. Presenting partner ACM, Supporting partners Blis, Boomtown, Integral Ad Science, Magnite, Perion, Pinterest, PubMatic, Reddit, StackAdapt, Snapchat, Spotify and Associate partners Coles 360, Mamamia, and NEXXEN
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