All the FM AdFocus Awards winners (Image Danette Breitenbach © Bizcommunity)
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The agency last won the overall AdFocus Awards title in 2018 when Ogilvy Johannesburg took the title.
The period under review for the AdFocus Award 2025, from July 2024 to June 2025, saw the agency retaining their Volkswagen Group Africa and then winning a new account, Vodacom.
The Awards recognised Mike Abel, executive chairman and founder of The Up&Up Group, as its Lifetime Achiever. The jury recognised his rich contribution to the South African creative industry from his first agency to working on Volkswagen at Ogilvy, to becoming its youngest MD, and his move to Australia and back to South Africa to launch M&C Saatchi and, more recently, The Up& Up Group.
Industry Leader of the Year is Dawn Rowlands, chief executive officer at dentsu sub-Saharan Africa. Her leadership has seen dentsu expand from 40 to 5,000 people, 11 market start-ups and 23 local partners throughout Africa.
Melusi Mhlungu, founder and chief creative officer of We Are Bizarre, is the Awards’ Shapeshifter for 2025. Since his return to South Africa two years ago, he has shown just why he is this year’s shapeshifter.
The AdFocus Student of the Year is Abigael Cassell from the Cape Town Creative Academy.
Examining the engine room
Vicki Buys, Ogilvy MD and this year’s AdFocus Awards 2025 chair, says,” To every agency that entered: thank you."
She notes that the entry process is work — the useful kind.
“It forces teams to examine the engine room, not just the showroom.
“To the winners - congratulations, you’ve shown that creative excellence and business excellence aren’t trade-offs; they’re reinforcing forces.”
Non-negotiable judging process
Buys gives a word on judging.
“The integrity of the process is non-negotiable because the stakes are high. We began with online scoring to form shortlists. We then debated in person and concluded with a fresh secret ballot.
“Conflicts were handled as full-category recusals. An independent auditor oversaw the in-room process. Debate sharpened judgment; the vote spoke.”
Creative Challenge Award winners
Designed to test how agencies can turn headlines into powerful print executions, the Creative Challenge rewards creative teams who can translate cultural moments into campaign magic.
Winner - Agency: Joe Public with Advert: Chicken Licken - Tell Me You’re South African
Finalists: Happy Friday with advert: SADAG - Soundwave
Joe Public with Advert: Nedbank - Payshap
The FM AdFocus 2025 winners
- AdFocus Small Agency of the Year
Winner - Retroviral
Finalists: Boundless, Halo
- AdFocus Medium Agency of the Year
Winner - The Odd Number
Finalists: Clockwork, McCann Jhb
- AdFocus Large Agency of the Year
Winner - Joe Public
Finalists: M&C Saatchi Abel, Ogilvy
- ,b>AdFocus PR Agency of the Year
Winner - Ogilvy PR
Finalists: Magna Carta, Razor PR
- AdFocus Specialised of the Year
Winner - Ogilvy One
Finalists: Design Bridge and Partner, MscSports
- AdFocus Media Agency of the Year
Winner: Carat
Finalists: Connect, Juno
- AdFocus Partnership of the Year (Sponsored by IAS - Independent Agency Search and Selection Company)
Winner - Ogilvy SA and Volkswagen
Finalists: 99c and Checkers, The MediaShop and Shoprite Checkers
- AdFocus African Impact Award
Winner - Dentsu
Finalists: M&C Saatchi – Up& Up Group, TBWA
- AdFocus Transformation Award
Winner - Park Advertising
Lobengula, Ogilvy
- AdFocus Group of the Year
Winner - Ogilvy
Dentsu, M&C Saatchi – Up& Up Group
- AdFocus Student of the Year
Winner - Abigael Cassell - Cape Town Creative Academy
Finalists: Alice Bosch - Cape Town Creative Academy, Danica Viljoen - Vega Cape Town
