What makes an award-winning agency? Creativity, clarity and impact, according to the judges of the 2025 AdNews Agency of the Year Awards.
The 100% client-side judging panel includes senior marketers and CMOs from more than 50 companies, such as FMCG, finance, retail, automotive, travel and telecommunications.
Entries close on September 25, 2025. Make sure you enter here.
Optus director customer marketing Roxanne Tyler has been part of the judging panel for the last four years.
She told AdNews that clear purpose, differentiation and meaningful creativity is what makes an agency stand out amongst the crowd.
“I want to see bold ideas that don’t just follow a trend but lead it,” Tyler said.
“Each year we see work riding the latest wave, whether that’s the Metaverse, TikTok challenges, podcasts or DE&I, the entries that stand out are the ones that embrace culture and trends in a way that’s purposeful, meaningful and effective.”
BMW Australia and New Zealand general manager of marketing Alex McLean said that in a market flooded with messages, great work instantly stands out.
“The best entries have a sharp point of view and a distinct execution that elevates the brand and makes it impossible to ignore,” McLean said.
"I want to see entries that show a clear understanding of the category they’re competing in, the noise, the norms, the nuances and show how the work broke free from it.
“Whether it’s a bold media approach, a clever twist on insight, or simply craft that turns heads, the strongest work connects dots others missed.
“It’s not just creativity for creativity’s sake—it’s strategic, disruptive and uniquely ownable.”
Award-winning entries are created through original thinking, simplicity and healthy envy, according to Suncorp executive manager of media Greg Kearney.
“I want to see ideas that cut through the noise with clarity and cultural resonance,” Kearney said.
“Work that takes risks, challenges conventions, or plays with culture in fresh ways, but always anchored in a clear brand role.
“The best campaigns start conversations, permeate culture, and ultimately drive both brand and business outcomes.
“I’m also looking for smart use of data and technology as enablers of creativity and personalisation.
“Above all, I want to see entries that show how creativity can solve real problems and create lasting impact, both commercially and culturally.”
Australian Pork head of campaigns and branding Eunbi Lee said the ingredients to an award-winning entry are clarity in objectives, strategy, the vision, how it was delivered and clearly demonstrated business outcomes.
“I would love to see more ideas and how they translate to a multichannel approach, and innovative thinking that signal where the industry is going in terms of new technology and the adoption or rejection of it,” she said.
Entain Australia GM of digital and media Jack Elkins said he looks at entries against succinctly, if it broke new ground and if it achieves real, commercial goal.
“I was pleasantly surprised last year with some of the Indies who positioned themselves on their employee value proposition and seem to authentically want to break out of the classic industry traps they’d experienced elsewhere,” he said.
“With campaigns, I saw a lot of ‘capital B’ brand work which leant into distinctiveness and iterative platforms - I like this approach because it translates well across our fragmented media landscape without losing the power of repetition and cross-channel impact.”
Bonds head of marketing Kedda Ghazarian said that great creative should be effective at its core.
“What excites me is work that challenges the status quo, gets people talking or taps into an honest and ownable insight,” Ghazarian said.
“I want to see ideas that defy the industry trends and walk their own walk.
“I think we can expect to see a lot of creative applications of AI this year, but the entries that connect this back with a human insight or higher order purpose will be the biggest winners.”
L'Oréal chief digital marketing officer Georgina Hack said that award winning work is a blend of creativity that doesn't just grab attention, but genuinely builds lasting brands with real, measurable impact.
"It should demonstrate a best-in-class agency and brand partnership, marked by strong collaboration, a shared vision and a deep understanding of local nuances," Hack said.
"I’d love to see how tech is becoming the very pulse of your operations, turning complex challenges into streamlined solutions, and supercharging your human ingenuity to deliver campaigns that are not just effective, but truly groundbreaking.
"It's all about demonstrating how AI isn't just a trend, but a vital catalyst for next-level innovation.
"It’s really paving the way for where our industry is undeniably heading."
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