Source: © Media [[https://sabre.provokemedia.com/ Provoke Media The 2025 EMEA Sabre Awards saw South Africa’s public relations and communications agencies, Retroviral and Razor PR, fly the flag high

Announced on Wednesday, 2 April, in London, England, the Awards recognise superior achievement in branding reputation and engagement and honour the Agencies of the Year and Best Agencies to Work For.

Not the biggest but the best

Retroviral was recognised for its Showmax Premier League Launch — Showmax with Retroviral, T+W, grid, in the geographic category as well in the Marketing Communications: Guerilla Marketing category for Beatbox Baristas with Wimpy and Actorvate & Shaun James Films.

Our mantra is to never be the biggest but the Best, says Mike Sharman, chief creative officer of Retroviral.

"I think this is the third year in a row we’re the most decorated South African and even African agency at Sabre EMEA Awards.

"From six finalists for six different clients to converting two winners, I’m just insanely proud that we’ve been on such an incredible run of global, best-of-breed creatively impactful, viral work."

Shining a light on critical issues

Razor PR with M&C Saatchi Abel - The Up&Up Group was recognised in the Marketing Communications: Engaging Society: Public Education category for Bullet Proof Park with Gun Free South Africa.

Razor PR CEO, Dustin Chick says it is always so humbling when local work is recognised on a global stage.

"It doesn’t just speak to the real quality of South African and African communications, but also that the levels of creativity and strategic smarts that truly is standing up with some of the best work across the region.

He says that when campaigns like Bullet Proof Park win, we all win.

"Because we are shining a light on issues critical to the real values at the heart of our society and should keep all of us up at night. Thank you to clients who let us push the creative envelope and who let us raise these topics in a way that they win."

Platinum and Diamond winners

Platinum Sabre Award for Best in Show

Winner - Piece Of Me — KPN with Dentsu Creative, Mindshare Netherlands, Wefilm Creative Agency, Amp.Amsterdam // The Sonic Branding Company, Emma Branderhorst, A Bigger Circle & team5pm, HPB | Het PR BureauFinalists:#2: No One Escapes Justice: How Miller Stopped a Rigged Mobilization and Protected a Child’s Rights in Wartime Ukraine — Underage Sexual Assault Victim with Miller Law Firm#3: The Story of Britain’s Last Coal-Fired Power Station — Uniper with Burson UK#4: Stitch and Spice — Puma with MSL UK#5: The Tiniest Room — Save the Children with Golin Romania

Diamond Sabre Awards

Company of The Year - Uncovering Europe’s Experience Economy — Mastercard with KetchumCEO of the Year - Wayne Griffiths, Empowering the Voice of Change — CUPRA with Apple Tree, Citizen Relations, EdelmanThe Sabre Award for Superior Achievement in Brand-Building - Piece Of Me — KPN with Dentsu Creative, Mindshare Netherlands, Wefilm Creative Agency, Amp.Amsterdam // The Sonic Branding Company, Emma Branderhorst, A Bigger Circle & team5pm, HPB | Het PR BureauThe Sabre Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management - From the Boiler Room to the Private Equity Floor — Techem Energy Services GmbHThe Sabre Award for Superior Achievement in Research and Planning - VeloBank Improves Valentine's Day — VeloBank with Zoom bscThe Sabre Award for Superior Achievement in Measurement and Evaluation - Tuned in - delivering the right content to the right stakeholder — AramcO

Geographic

Africa - Showmax Premier League Launch — Showmax with Retroviral, T+W, gridThe Balkans - World's Favourite Toilet — MedLife with Golin RomaniaThe Baltic - Saving Free Media in Poland — TVN Warner Bros. Discovery with SEC Newgate CEEBenelux - Revolutionising the Belgian retail landscape — Delhaize with Whyte Corporate AffairsDACH - One for One: Mobile phone recycling in Ghana protects environment & creates jobs — Vodafone with MSL GermanyCentral Eastern Europe - Tesco - Period poverty in Slovakia — Tesco Stores SR with Istropolitana Ogilvy, LikeFrance -The Other Side of the Medal — Allianz France with Ogilvy ParisIberia - The Wild Algorithm — Ampara Instituto Animal with Edelman SpainIreland - Step Up Together: How AIB launched their new strategy to get Ireland to “Step Up Together’ for Goal in 2024. — AIB with Wilson HartnellMediterranean - Her Name in the Game — AC Milan with Serviceplan ItaliaThe Middle East -Shelves — Puck with Current Global MENATNordics - The Walking Ads — Volkswagen Norway with TRYSweden - Supercube — Knorr with Weber Shandwick CologneTurkey - Symphony of Corals (1 Breath to the Sea) — Anadolu Efes with Weber Shandwick MENATUkraine and Other Independent States- No One Escapes Justice: How Miller Stopped a Rigged Mobilization and Protected a Child’s Rights in Wartime Ukraine — Underage Sexual Assault Victim with Miller Law FirmUnited Kingdom - Small Budget - Killed Here — Killed Women with EarniesUnited Kingdom - Medium Budget - The Story of Britain’s Last Coal-Fired Power Station — Uniper with Burson UKUnited Kingdom - Large Budget - The Move to -15 — DP World with EdelmanMulti-Country Programme - DOOM Mowers — Husqvarna with Prime Weber ShandwickGlobal Programme - Weather Kids — UNDP with Activation Partners

Practice areas winners

Marketing Communications

Business-To-Business Marketing - The DNA Problem — DrDoctor with Fight or FlightConsumer Marketing (Existing Product) - Music to my brain — Regina Maria - The Private Healthcare Network with Publicis Relations, Publicis Romania, DigitasConsumer Marketing (New Product) - Made of Metal — OnePlus with The RomansInclusive Marketing - Code My Crown — Unilever/Dove with EdelmanIntegrated Marketing -The CPR Bra — St John Ambulance with Revolt and Fight or Flight

Corporate Reputation

Institutional Image - If You're Into It, It's In The V&A — The V&A with Hope&GloryEmployee Communications - Revolutionising the Belgian retail landscape — Delhaize with Whyte Corporate AffairsEmployer Branding - Doing great things deserves great recognition. — Swiss Federal Railways) with Farner | Team FarnerExecutive Communications - Sustainability Not Sacrifice — Schneider Electric with Team LewisCapital Markets Communications - LPP vs. HDR: The Tale of Vanishing Billions and Restored Trust — LPP with Lighthouse

Engaging Society

Purpose-Driven Branding - The DrunkenBait — Carlsberg Sweden with BursonCommunity Relations - The Inescapable Room — Dr.Max Romania with Ogilvy Romania & Never Alone - Friends of the Elderly AssociationCorporate Philanthropy and Fund-Raising - Building Bonds in a War Zone — The Bridge of Trust with AvidlyESG Campaign - Flowers for hops — Plzeňský Prazdroj with Svengali CommunicationsPublic Education - Bullet Proof Park — Gun Free South Africa with Razor PR with M&C Saatchi Abel - The Up&Up Group

Advocacy

Crisis Management - Three years in the Eye of a Solar Industry Storm — Senec with Ketchum GermanyIssues Management - “Mehr Zuhaus’ in Österreich!“ – how to initiate an economic stimulus package worth billions against housing shortage and for the construction industry! — hagebau Österreich with Skills | Team Farner and Campaigning BureauPublic Affairs - Maaate — Mayor of London with Ogilvy PR

Media Relations

Corporate Media Relations - The Next CEO — Russell Reynolds Associates with Burson UKProduct Media Relations (Consumer Media) - #MyFavourite — Mars - Celebrations with Ketchum UKProduct Media Relations (Trade Media) - Carbon Action Portfolio – the industry first carbon-optimized packaging label portfolio — UPM Raflatac with SEK, Finland

Digital and Social Media

Digital Campaign - Zero drug deaths -campaign — Irti Huumeista ry and Indivior with Ahjo Communications OySocial Media/Social Networking Campaign - Red vs. Blue — Origin by Ocean with AvidlyInfluencer Marketing - Desk Break — Asics with GolinBranded Journalism - Only Gastronomy Can Do That — GastroSuisse with Farner | Team FarnerWord of Mouth - Empowering Change Through Hygiene: Tackling the Hidden Crisis of Hygiene Poverty — Dixan (Henkel) with Apco

Experiential

Guerrilla Marketing - Beatbox Baristas — Wimpy with Retroviral, Actorvate & Shaun James FilmPublicity Stunt - Missed Birthdays — Campaign Against Living Miserably with Hope&GlorySpecial Event - Wurst Price Scenario — Tibber with Gullers GruppSponsorship - "Thank You Jürgen" — Carlsberg with Hope&GloryTrade Show WAO at fruit attraction: Stealing the show — The World Avocado Organisation with Marco

Specialist Audience

Marketing to Men - Be a Friend. To Yourself Too — The All-Ukrainian mental health programme "How are you?", Coordination Center for Mental Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine with plusone social impactMarketing to Women - Home Safely with Taxifix — Oslo Taxi with JCP PRADMarketing to Youth - America's Cup e-Series — Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup with Burson Spain / Experientia / TeammateMarketing to Seniors - Michael Bommer becomes immortal — Eternos.Life with MSL GermanyMulticultural Marketing - Liming with Gran — Genomics England and University of Cambridge with Ketchum UK

Industry sectors

Consumer Goods

Automotive - Changing Spaces — Lime with Words + PixelsFashion & Beauty - Stitch and Spice — Puma with MSL UKFood & Beverage - The Social Swap — Heineken with Edelman and LePubHome & Furniture - Reversing the narrative on anniversaries - How Ikea Germany’s 50th Anniversary Beat the European Football Championship ’24 — Ikea Holding Deutschland GmbH & Co. KGConsumer Products - #freethefeed: The "Boob Tube" — Elvie with Hope&Glory

Consumer Services

Entertainment - Sam-ford Bridge — Chelsea FC Women with Hope&GloryFinancial Services - Bleak Friday — Simply Business with GolinFood Service - The Banquet Menu — Max Burgers with JMWGolinRetailers - "We Deliver Democracy" – Inspiring Activation Ahead of the European Elections — About You SE & Co. KG with nwtn GmbH / Jung von Matt HamburgTravel & Tourism - Draw me the sea — SeaWorld Yas Island Abu Dhabi with Weber Shandwick MENAT, Initiative, Momentum

Business-to-Business

Energy and Natural Resources - Fight for Light — DTEKChemicals & Industrials - Soil Poetry — Yara International with Geelmuyden KieseProfessional Service Firms - Big Hero Snitch — Medius with Fight or FlightReal Estate & Construction - 30 under 30 — Saint-Gobain Norway, Glava, Gyproc, Weber with Trigger Oslo, NorwayTransportation & Logistics - Being a Postal Worker Is Not a Combat Sport — Hungarian Post with Lounge Group

Technology

Consumer Electronics - Axicom's ‘Magic’ Touch: Disrupting the Foldable Category with Honor — Honor with AxicomTechnology: Hardware - Alzheimer's Intelligence — Lenovo with Zeno LondonTechnology: Software & Services - Going for Gold: Delivering an AI-Powered Olympics — Intel with WE CommunicationsTelecommunications - Tools for Modern Times — Croatian Telecom / Hrvatski Telekom (in house)E-Commerce: #RoddickReturns — Betway with The Romans

Healthcare

Consumer Health - Free Period Care Products in Schools – A Basic Right — Libresse & Tork (Essity) with Spotlight CommunicationsHealthcare Providers - No Pulse – The World’s most important workout. — Sats Norway with TryMedical Technology - 24/7 Diabetes-Create Awareness for Diabetes and Its Impact — Dexcom with Bijl PRPharmaceutical: RX - Beating the Men-Killer: How we used politics to change men’s fate — Slovak Urological Society, Johnson & Johnson with Seesame

Non-Corporate

Associations - Making Rural Britain unignorable — Country Land and Business Association (CLA) with WoodrowEducational and Cultural Institutions - Adjust to Taste — Norwegian Hospitality Association and partners (NHO Reiseliv) with Trigger OsloGovernment Agencies - I Care by Burson and The Royal Commission for AlUla — The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) with BursonNot-For-Profit Organisations - The Tiniest Room — Save the Children with Golin Romania