Effie Awards Aotearoa 2025 convenor of judges Murray Streets says this year’s winners show that the most effective campaigns blend fresh strategy, unexpected creativity and results that speak for themselves.
October 23’s sold-out event showcased the contribution Aotearoa’s advertising industry makes to both commercial businesses and social causes.
With the focus on effectiveness above all else, the night was a fitting celebration of what we do best as an industry.
This year it was public sector, charitable and not-for-profit organisations who took the golds – a contrast to last year when commercial corporates dominated.
Honouring bold ideas and real results
Regardless, these entries demonstrated the necessary attributes to win the top accolade.
They combined well-articulated challenges, fresh strategic thinking, equally surprising or interesting creative campaigns and quantifiable results demonstrating causality not correlation. All written in a style that consistently persuaded judges across three rounds.
Winners came from emerging independents alongside more established agency businesses, pointing to the rise of new creative businesses that will further enrich our industry.
Congratulations to Motion Sickness, Jnr, Quantum Jump and The Insiders. And, of course, plaudits to Special for achieving the Most Effective Agency of the Year with a portfolio of work across diverse clients and categories.
Kudos also to dentsu Creative and the Ministry of Social Development for their work engaging perpetrators of family violence. This work picked up the Hardest Challenge award.
The peak of achievement
Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei
The Māori whakatauki encourages us to pursue demanding goals and to bow our heads to a lofty mountain.
The Effie Awards represent the peak of achievement, and our judges don’t award metal lightly. It is not a platitude to say that bronze or silver awards should be treasured.
We invite all winners to the stage. This provides a moment when the whole room can celebrate their achievement. This fosters a collegial feel, appropriate for a small industry where strong personal relationships go together with healthy competitive spirit.
A recent senior arrival to our industry from overseas commented that it was great to see the industry here take Effie Awards seriously. That’s not always the case in other markets. Further validation, were it needed.
The excitement of the night might have faded over the long weekend the followed. But we can be sure that work is already in market or about to launch that will feature at next year’s Effie Awards.
More reasons to look forward to 2026.
