Marketing Achievement Awards unveils 2025 qualifiers
The Marketing Achievement Awards qualifiers for 2025 have been named.
The Marketing Achievement Awards has unveiled the 2025 qualifiers (Image supplied)
A total of 82 qualifiers were chosen from nearly 180 entries this year.
The Marketing Achievement Awards are an annual celebration of marketing as a strategic business discipline and set the benchmark for marketing standards by recognising initiatives that make the most valuable contributions to businesses and society.
This year the Awards will honour 14 marketing teams and three individuals as the ultimate winners in their categories, through a peer review process conducted by South Africa’s top marketers and industry experts.
This year’s criteria have been updated based on feedback from last season’s competition and the judges on what to focus on for this season. details.
Two new categories were also added this year, Excellence in New Brand Launch Marketing and Brand Custodian of the Year (Nominated Category).
The adjudication of the awards is overseen by the Marketing Achievers Council. Each adjudication panel is chaired by an independent chairperson and comprised of marketing industry professionals, with final results being ratified by the Marketing Association of South Africa.
The winners as well as the 2025 Marketing Organisation of the Year will also be announced at the awards evening, a black-tie gala event in April this year.
The Marketer of the Year, Brand Custodian of the Year, and Rising Star of the Year awards nominees will be announced in the next few weeks.
Chairman of the Marketing Achievers Council, Ivan Moroke, CEO of Kantar, says that this year's entries have impressed the judges, attesting to the thorough and robust adjudication process.
“Each written submission underwent careful evaluation against specified criteria, with judges engaging in spirited discussions to determine the merits of top-scoring entries.
"Achieving qualifier status is a significant accomplishment, and we congratulate all those who have reached this milestone.”
The Qualifiers
| Excellence in Brand Marketing B2B | ||
| Brand/ Organisation | Lead Partner | Entry |
| Jacaranda FM | #WomenpreneurHerPerfectPitch by Jacaranda FM | |
| Standard Bank Business & Commercial Banking | M&C Saatchi Abel | Enabling South Africa's small businesses to 'Rise Above the Noise' |
| Standard Bank Corporate & Investment Banking | M&C Saatchi Abel | We Believe In Here |
| Unilever Professional | Attic Rush | Unilever Professional - Better Clean Better Business - Food Safe Launch |
| Excellence in Brand Positioning | ||
| Absa | Avatar | Absa Brand Launch |
| Jacaranda FM | #WomenpreneurHerPerfectPitch by Jacaranda FM | |
| MTN SA | Learning Towards the Youth for Growth - MTN SA | |
| Nedbank | Nedbank, Bank Your Time | |
| Nescafé | Publicis Machine | Nescafé Make Your World |
| Nestlé | Nestlé Hot Chocolate #NowServingSelfcare - pause with purpose for South African Women | |
| Excellence in Digital Brand Marketing | ||
| Absa | Avatar | Absa Brand Positioning Launch |
| GoSolr | Correlate Digital | GoSolr Digital Launch |
| KFC South Africa | Ogilvy | KFC Block Booked - Taking Back Lunch One Email At a Time |
| Nestlé Confectionery | Revolve (Hoorah) | Nestlé Confectionery - Enjoy a little magic |
| SASKO, Moirs and Safari | MullenLowe South Africa | SASKO Flour Moir's Safari |
| Sea Harvest | CRT Create | Sea Harvest Fish Friday - Everyone's Favourite Day |
| Excellence in Integrated Marketing | ||
| Cadbury | Ogilvy South Africa | Cadbury - Give A Little Thanks |
| Discovery Vitality | RCK | Discovery Vitality Padel benefit |
| DKMS Africa | DKMS Africa: The 360° Patient Appeal | |
| Futurelife | MullenLowe South Africa | Futurelife |
| KFC South Africa | Ogilvy | Make It KFC |
| Magnum | Hyphen Creatives | Magnum Chocolate Cookie Crumble Launch |
| Nando's | M&C Saatchi Abel | Nando's Cabo Sosatie Integrated Marketing Campaign |
| Nescafé | Publicis Machine | Nescafé Make Your World |
| Nestlé Confectionery | VML | Nestlé confectionery - Enjoy a little magic |
| SASKO | MullenLowe South Africa | SASKO Care in Action |
| Spar-letta | Offlimit Communications | Spar-letta "Eyakho! It’s Yours: A Taste of Home" |
| Standard Bank | Matte BLK | Standard Bank Be #Walletwise 360 Integrated Campaign |
| Standard Bank Business & Commercial Banking | M&C Saatchi Abel | Enabling South Africa's small businesses to 'Rise Above the Noise' |
| Suzuki | Penquin | Suzuki Jimny Launch |
| Telkom | BlackSwan Assets | Show Up Big with Telkom |
| Telkom | Levergy | Telkom, Stand Tall |
| Excellence in Internal Marketing | ||
| Absa | Avatar | Absa Brand Positioning Launch |
| Excellence in Marketing Innovation | ||
| Audi South Africa | Ogilvy South Africa | Audi Curated Collection |
| Jacaranda FM | BIG Freeze by Jacaranda FM | |
| Jungle Oats | Jungle Oat Drinks Range | |
| Nedbank | Levergy | Nedbank, The Art of Wine |
| Excellence in New Brand Launch | ||
| Discovery Vitality | Vitality HealthyFood relaunch | |
| Excellence in New Product or Service Launch | ||
| L'Oreal Paris | McCann Joburg | L'Oreal Paris x McCann Joburg / Let Your Melanin Glow |
| Nando's | M&C Saatchi Abel | Nando's Cabo Sosatie NPD Launch |
| Nescafé | Offlimit Communications | Nescafé Make Your World |
| SAB (AB INBEV) | Ogilvy South Africa | Castle Lite x Nando's Battle of the Billboards |
| Sea Harvest | CRT Create | Sea Harvest Fish Friday - Everyone's Favourite Day |
| ShopriteX | 99c | Xtra Savings Plus by ShopriteX |
| Suzuki | Penquin | Suzuki Jimny Launch |
| Excellence in Purpose-led Marketing | ||
| Checkers | 99c | Checkers brings Xtra Joy to Stanford |
| DKMS Africa | DKMS Africa’s World Blood Cancer Campaign | |
| Jacaranda FM | #WomenpreneurHerPerfectPitch by Jacaranda FM | |
| Milo | Offlimit Communications | Milo Future Champs |
| Nedbank | Joe Public | The Signwriter - Nedbank Youth Honours Board |
| SASKO | MullenLowe South Africa | SASKO Siyasizana - Better Play for Better Tomorrows |
| Standard Bank | Matte BLK | Standard Bank Be #Walletwise Consumer Education Programme |
| The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) | Matter Advertising | The Department of Science and Innovation Campaign |
| Volkswagen | Ogilvy South Africa | Volkswagen - Night School |
| Excellence in Reputation Management (Corporate and Brand) | ||
| Standard Bank Corporate & Investment Banking | M&C Saatchi Abel | We Believe In Here |
| Telkom | Levergy | Telkom, Stand Tall |
| Excellence in Resourceful Marketing | ||
| Discovery Insure | RCK | Game-Changing Marketing l How Discovery Insure drove positive Net sentiment through social media campaigns to build brand equity and resonance. |
| DKMS Africa | DKMS Africa’s Resourceful Resilience: Patient Appeal | |
| Marmite | MullenLowe South Africa | Marmite Smear Campaign |
| Nedbank | Levergy | Nedbank, The Art of Wine |
| Zam-Buk | Offlimit Communications | Zam-Buk Take Me Home |
| Excellence in South African Resonance Marketing | ||
| Checkers | 99c | Checkers brings Xtra Joy to Stanford |
| MTN SA | Connecting People by Giving a Voice to the Voiceless - MTN SA | |
| Nedbank | Levergy | Nedbank #Run4Avos |
| Nescafé | Publicis Machine | Nescafé Make Your World |
| NESTLÉ NESPRAY® | Publicis Machine | NESTLÉ NESPRAY® IPlug Yeskolo |
| NikNaks | MullenLowe South Africa | NikNaks_Own your Nak |
| Rajah, Knorrox and Knorr | Hyphen Creatives | The Perfect Sishebo |
| Robertson, Aromat and Knorr | Hyphen Creatives | The Perfect Get-Togetha Braai |
| Shoprite | 99c | Make Savings Simple with Shoprite Xtra Savings |
| Spar-letta | Offlimit Communications | Spar-letta "Eyakho! It's Yours" |
| Standard Bank | Matte BLK | Standard Bank Be #Walletwise Regionalised Activations Campaign |
| Telkom | Levergy | Telkom, Stand Tall |
| Zam-buk | Offlimit Communications | Zam-buk Take Me Home |
| Excellence in Strategic Sponsorship Marketing | ||
| Absa | Avatar | Absa Brand Sponsorships |
| Betway | Mscsports | Betway SA20 Catch R2 Million |
| Discovery Vitality | Discovery Vitality Run Series | |
| First National Bank | Gizmo | FNB's #BoksNeedYou Rugby World Cup Campaign |
| Lay's | MullenLowe South Africa | No Lay's, No Game |
| Nedbank | Levergy | Nedbank, The Art of Wine |
| Nedbank | Levergy | Nedbank #Run4Avos |
| Telkom | Levergy | Telkom, Stand Tall |
