Clemenger BBDO’s Clash of Commuters activation took out the Grand Prix at the 26th annual MFA Awards.
The campaign blurred the lines between the virtual and physical worlds, transforming the daily commute into a gaming experience.
Brands including IAG, Lion, Mars, Air New Zealand and McDonald’s took home trophies for the most effective and impactful media work of the year.
Agencies recognised include Initiative, Wavemaker, Starcom, UM Australia, OMD, This is Flow, Them Advertising, WPP Media, Hello, PHD, EssenceMediacom and Avenue C.
Barry O’Brien, founder and chairman of Atomic 212°, was inducted into the MFA Hall of Fame for his contributions and unwavering belief in media as a force for good.
Elena Giannini (Avenue C), Katy Eng (OMG Diverse) and Luisa Dalli (Havas Media) were awarded the MFA Industry Contribution award for spearheading Project Diverse with Roy Morgan, an initiative modernising Australia’s audience planning data to better reflect today’s diverse society.
Peter Horgan, CEO of Joy, was also invited to the stage for a special acknowledgement of his 10-year service as chair of the MFA board of directors. He stepped down from the board earlier this year following his departure from Omnicom Media Group.
MFA CEO Sophie Madden said this year’s winners prove, yet again, that Australia’s media agencies are world-class – delivering clever, creative and commercially powerful solutions that transform businesses and make a real difference in people’s lives.
“The bar has never been higher, and the calibre of work we’ve seen this year is nothing short of extraordinary,” she said.
“Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to our incredible judges and the Awards Steering Committee for helping us celebrate the very best of what our industry can achieve.”
The 2026 winners:
Grand Prix – Sponsored by Seven
Clemenger BBDO, Clash of Commuters, Samsung
OUTCOMES
Brand Impact – Sponsored by Meta
Initiative and News Corp Australia, Help Our Highway, IAG
Business Impact
Wavemaker, Answer The Call, yourtown
Behaviour Change
Clemenger BBDO, Lifeblood Blood Supply, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Data-Led Activation
Starcom, When The Going Gets Tough, The Data Gets Going, Metricon Homes
Long-Term Results
UM, XXXX Gold: A Legacy Rebuilt: A Long-Term Media Impact Story, Lion
EXECUTION
Best Integrated Campaign
Clemenger BBDO, Clash of Commuters, Samsung
Best Use of Small Budget <500K
Wavemaker, Building unshakeable hair confidence through ‘detangling hair’ moments, Lady Jayne
Partnership Award
Clemenger BBDO, Clash of Commuters, Samsung
Innovation Award
OMD and Akcelo, Macca’s Squid Game Meal – Dare to Play?, McDonald’s
Best Content Amplification Strategy
This is Flow, Real-Time Runway, MESHKI
ESG Campaign – Sponsored by SBS
Them Advertising, Perfectly Adoptable Campaign, RSPCA South Australia
Industry Change Program – In support of Ad Net Zero
WPP Media, Digital Sustainability Initiative
CHANNEL EXCELLENCE
Best Use of Screens
Clemenger BBDO, Lifeblood Blood Supply, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Best Use of Search
Starcom, Messy Middle, Air New Zealand
Best Use of Social
Paramount ANZ and Hello, A Mountain of Movies, Paramount+
Best Use of Audio
UM, One Talk at a Time, National Office for Child Safety, Attorney-General’s Department, Australian Government
Best Use of Outdoor – Sponsored by OMA Move
oOh!media and PHD, Falcon, ANZ
Best Use of Retailer Owned Media
EssenceMediacom and Amazon, Unlocking Amazon to reward that thing you did, Mars
Best Use of Events and Experiential
Clemenger BBDO, Clash of Commuters, Samsung
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Pro Bono/Cause Marketing Incentive (In recognition of Pam Lane)
EssenceMediacom, Go Blue for Dolly, Dolly’s Dream
Agency Talent & Culture (<100)
Avenue C, Where Experience Takes You
Agency Talent & Culture (>100)
WPP Media, Salary Transparency
NGEN Award
Ashley Hill, Match & Wood
Industry Contribution
Elena Giannini (Avenue C), Katy Eng (OMG Diverse) and Luisa Dalli (Havas Media) for Project Diverse
Hall of Fame
Barry O’Brien
The 2025 MFA EX sponsors:
Grand Prix: Seven
Platinum: Meta, Outdoor Media Association, SBS
Gold: Ad Standards, News Australia, Nine, OzTAM, Pinterest, Samsung Ads, YouTube
Silver: Cairns Crocodiles, Commercial Radio & Audio, Foxtel Media, Nielsen
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