09 May 2025

TFG And VML Triumph At The Smarties 2025 Awards

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TFG And VML Triumph At The Smarties 2025 Awards

Proud chapter

This year marked a proud chapter in the Smarties journey because it has been recognised by both Warc and RECMA. The categories placed greater emphasis on the creative use of AI and Data in marketing campaigns. The winners stood out not only for their strategic ingenuity but also for how effectively they harnessed technology to deliver meaningful, results-driven brand experiences.

“Smarties South Africa entries this year were a masterclass in blending creativity, innovation, and technology. Judging was incredibly difficult — every case brought bold thinking and real impact. MMA South Africa is home to one of the most passionate, fearless marketing communities in the world,” says Melis Ertem, MMA MEA CEO.

Top honours were awarded to those who led with vision and executed with precision:

  • Brand of the Year: TFG
  • Agency of the Year: VML
  • Best in Show: Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!

Strategic thinking

Each of these campaigns stood out for their blend of strategic thinking, cultural resonance, and business impact — reflecting the dynamism and creativity of South African consumers and the marketers who connect with them.The 2025 judging panel brought together top talent from across the continent — senior marketers and digital leaders from TikTok, Standard Bank, MTN, Nestlé, Absa, Takealot, and Unilever. The jury was led by the 2025 jury chairs, Luisa Mazinter, chief growth officer at Mesh.trade & MMA SA chair Emeritus, Khensani Nobanda (CM(SA)), group executive: Marketing & Corporate Affairs.

“The calibre of entries this year was nothing short of exceptional. What stood out across the board was how brands are embracing data and technology not just as enablers, but as core storytelling tools. "We saw campaigns that moved beyond surface-level creativity — they were smart, purposeful, and designed for real-world impact. Judging the Smarties reaffirmed just how bold and world-class South African marketing has become," says Carl Jordan, head of sales, sub-Saharan Africa – TikTok.

Impact Media
Omnichannel Marketing
Award Lead Agency Advertiser/Brand Entry Name
SILVER Gorilla Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza
SILVER iProspect SA - Dentsu South African Breweries Battle of the billboards
GOLD Gorilla Pick n Pay asap! Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!
GOLD The MediaShop L'Oréal South Africa A Sky High Journey Through South African Skies
BRONZE 99c Advertising Checkers South Africa Checkers’ Little Shop Goes Xtra
BRONZE Futuretech & UM Old Mutual Old Mutual Two-Pot Retirement Digital Enablement
Cross Digital Media Marketing
GOLD Gorilla Pick n Pay asap! Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!
SILVER Machine_ Unilever 101 Ways Campaign
BRONZE VML Standard Bank Fraud is no Fairytale
BRONZE Standard Bank-South Africa Standard Bank- South Africa School of Scam- #BeatTheScam
Gaming Gamification & E-Sports
SILVER Hailr Clicks Group Clicks ClubCard Festive Gamification Campaign
BRONZE Oliver Marketing Unilever Lifebuoy Global Handwashing Day
Social Media Marketing
GOLD VML Mondelez NASA Won’t Confirm It But TikTok Will: Lunch Bar’
SILVER Ogilvy South Africa Pep Pep Dry and Detect Towerls
BRONZE Gorilla Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza
GOLD MullenLowe South Africa Unilever Raising the bar for Sunlight Green Bar
SILVER Gorilla Pick n Pay asap! Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!
Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing
GOLD VML Mondelez How a UFO Cover-Up Sold Millions of Lunch Bars
BRONZE DStv SA DStv SA kykNET Hier (DStv)
SILVER Gorilla Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza
SILVER MullenLowe South Africa Unilever Raising the bar for Sunlight Green Bar
BRONZE Oliver Marketing South Africa Unilever South Africa Dove Men+Care Conversations
BRONZE Hellosquare Tiger Brands Tinkies Holiday Spice
SILVER Until Until Agency & Events Absa Bank Limited I Grew It: Finance 101
BRONZE OnPoint PR & Lifestyle Management Absa Bank Limited Your Story Matters Brand Campaign
Experience Tech
Programmatic
SILVER Carbon1 & Publicis Toyota Sustainable Programmatic Power
SILVER Broadbrand Broadbrand Exceeding Expectations With Jungle Oats
BRONZE 365 Digital Vodacom Vodapay Summer Hydra achieves 708% ROAS
BRONZE Eskimi Eskimi and OMD South Africa McDonald’s Festive Make Happy Happen campaign
GOLD Rookdigital Audi AUDI AFTERSALES SERVICE CAMPAIGN '24
Data Insights / Contextual Marketing
GOLD TFG TFG - The Foschini Retail Group TFG Precision Marketing
SILVER Rainmaker Media Shoprite Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent Audience
SILVER Rainmaker Media Standard Bank Data Clean Room
WEB 3.0 Technologies Marketing
BRONZE Simunye Media PepsiCo Inc. Simba ROARRRS: Immersive VR at Joburg Day
Ecommerce
Customer (CX) / User Experience (UX) & Design
BRONZE M&C Saatchi Abel Standard Bank South Africa Spotify Track Your Racks
BRONZE Standard Bank Standard Bank Fraud is no Fairytale
O2O / New Retail / Innovative & New Tech Sales Channels
SILVER Rainmaker Media Shoprite Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent Audience
AI Marketing
Innovative Use of AI in Advertising
SILVER VML South Africa Unilever Real Beauty Generation
BRONZE Broadbrand Broadbrand Exceeding Expectations With Jungle Oats
AI-Powered Audience Engagement
GOLD TFG TFG - The Foschini Retail Group TFG Precision Marketing
BRONZE Oliver Marketing Unilever Lifebuoy Global Handwashing Day
AI-Driven Creative Excellence
GOLD M&C Saatchi Abel Standard Bank Standard Bank AI-Powered Music Ads
BRONZE Broadbrand Broadbrand Exceeding Expectations With Jungle Oats
Creative
Personalization
GOLD TFG TFG - The Foschini Retail Group TFG Precision Marketing
Short or Long Form Video
GOLD 99c Advertising Checkers South Africa Checkers Delivering Something Xtra This Christmas
BRONZE Gorilla Pick n Pay asap! Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!
SILVER Joe Public Nedbank Nedbank Youth Honours Board
Purpose Driven Marketing
Social Impact Marketing
GOLD Ogilvy South Africa Pep Pep Dry and Detect Towerls
SILVER Ogilvy Vodacom Foundation When you see it
BRONZE DStv DStv DStv presents 'What's Next?'
SILVER Until Until Agency & Events Absa Bank Limited I Grew It: Finance 101
Brand Purpose / Activism
GOLD VML South Africa Unilever Real Beauty Generation
SILVER Ogilvy South Africa Pep Pep Dry and Detect Towerls
BRONZE Standard Bank Standard Bank Fraud is no Fairytale
BRONZE Avatar Absa Absa Run Your City
BRONZE Rainmaker Media Unilever Dove - Buy Dove Give Love
SILVER Oliver Marketing South Africa Unilever South Africa Dove Men+Care Conversations
Diversity  &  Inclusion
GOLD VML South Africa Unilever Real Beauty Generation
BRONZE Naked Brain Communications Unilever Omo Qina Ndoda Campaign
SILVER Oliver Marketing Unilever Express Yourself in 100 Colours
GOLD Lumico (Pty) Ltd Estee Lauder South Africa Foundation for the Nation
Marketing Impact
Brand Experience
GOLD VML Mondelez Lunch Bar UFOs & The Biggest Chocolate Cover-Up
SILVER 99c Advertising Checkers South Africa Checkers Delivering Something Xtra This Christmas
BRONZE 99c Shoprite Group of Companies Checkers: Play Better Together
BRONZE Offlimit Communications Coca-Cola South Africa Coke Studio
GOLD Freshive Digital Agency Benny South Africa Benny South Africa
Customer Journey Marketing - Lead Generation / CRM
GOLD TFG TFG - The Foschini Retail Group TFG Precision Marketing
BRONZE Honest Marketing & Dentsu Redstar Heineken Beverages Heineken Silver 2.0
SILVER VML Nando's Push Notification Strategy
BRONZE Blue Robot Takealot Online (Pty) Ltd Takealot The Ultimate Checkout
SILVER Offlimit Communications Sleep Group Power up with Restonic
Product and / or Service Launch
SILVER Rainmaker Media Shoprite Checkers Sixty60 DotCom Launch
GOLD Hellosquare BevCo Reboost Watermelon Splash
SILVER Mindshare KFC KFC Braam Play
Instant Impact / Promotion
GOLD iProspect SA - Dentsu South African Breweries Battle of the billboards
GOLD Gorilla Pick n Pay asap! Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!
GOLD Gorilla Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza
SILVER Rainmaker Media Beiersdorf Nivea Sales Driver - Sixty60 In App Credit
Real Time Marketing
GOLD Nedbank Nedbank Bank Your Time
SILVER Avatar Agency / FutureTech Isuzu Isuzu X-Ryder 1.9: Real-Time Marketing Success
BRONZE Vicinity Media Lays Game-on technology unlocks high-impact omnichannel
Small Budget Big Impact
GOLD Sauce Advertising Reach for a Dream Step Into My Slippers
GOLD Rainmaker Media Shoprite Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent Audience
BRONZE Blue Robot SuperSport SuperSport SA20 Quiz Challenge
SILVER 365 Digital Himalaya Wellness Himalaya's TikTok Triumph Boostings Sales by 116%
Total Words: 976
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