2025 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards open with Creative Capital theme
The 2025 Financial Mail (FM) AdFocus Awards opened on 12 June and will close on 15 August.
The 2025 Financial Mail (FM) AdFocus Awards opened on 12 June and will close on 15 August (Image supplied)
The AdFocus Awards are unique in that they recognise agencies and individuals in the business of creativity.
This year, the Awards are chaired by Vicki Buys, managing director of Ogilvy.
She explains that this year’s theme, Creative Capital: Building Agency Value in a Complex World, reflects the evolution of agencies from “just” creative shops to businesses that build value through strategic and impactful creativity.
“In today's complex environment, agencies must leverage their 'Creative Capital' to drive growth for their clients, if they want to drive growth for themselves,” says Buys.
“The awards will celebrate agencies that demonstrate how they have successfully built their agency value — financial performance, talent, culture, innovation — and delivered tangible business results for their clients through strategic and impactful creative solutions.
“The focus will be on the business of creativity, not just the art of it,” explains Buys.
2025 Jury
Buys will be joined on the jury by returning jurors:
- Katherine Madley, executive: marketing, brand & digital, Pick n Pay
- Sbu Sitole, CCO and cofounder, The Odd Number
- Chris Botha, group MD, Park Advertising
- Yatish Narsi, chief marketing officer, MultiChoice Group
- Dustin Chick, CEO, Razor PR, The Up & Up Group
The AdFocus Awards also welcome the following new jury members:
- Musa Kalenga, group chief executive officer, Brave Group
- Carl Willoughby, chief creative officer, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris
- Paula Hulley, managing director, Digitas Liquorice
- Tanya Schreuder, CEO, Juno
- Mukondi Ralushayi Kgomo, co-founder and CEO, Think Creative Africa
- Refilwe Maluleke, head of marketing Discovery Health
“I am really looking forward to the debate in the jury room with this diverse panel of judges.
“Everyone on the panel believes in the business of creativity and is well placed to judge who the leading agencies in their categories are,” says Buys.
The jury comprises industry leaders from both agencies and clients. Jury members serve a two-year term.
The Adfocus Award sectors
The Adfocus Awards that can be entered this year include:
AdFocus Agency Awards
- Large Agency of the Year
- Medium Agency of the Year
- Small Agency of the Year
- Specialised Agency of the Year
- Public Relations Agency of the Year
- Media Agency of the Year
AdFocus Category Awards
- Transformation Award
- Partnership Award
- Africa Impact Award
- Agency Group of the Year
AdFocus Individual Awards
- Shapeshifter of the Year
- Industry Leader of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Student of the Year
The overall award, Agency of the Year, is selected by the jury from among the entries.
To enter the 2025 FM AdFocus Awards, you’ll need to complete an online questionnaire and submit supporting documents on the AdFocus Awards website.