The MMA Smarties Awards South Africa evening was a triumphant showcase of strategic creativity, data-driven excellence and tech-enabled impact.
“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,” said Melis Ertem, MMA MEA CEO.
As one of the few marketing awards programmes in South Africa recognised by both WARC and RECMA, SMARTIES SA now holds a renowned position on the global stage. This dual accreditation means each win doesn’t just make waves locally — it contributes to international rankings and affirms South Africa’s relevance in global marketing excellence.
Exceptional entries
“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,” said Carl Jordan, head of sales, Sub-Sahara Africa for TikTok
At the heart of the evening was one powerful message: marketing that matters is marketing that moves the needle. From captivating brand stories to deep consumer insight and bold use of technology, this year’s winners demonstrated the full potential of modern marketing.
Creative use of AI
This year’s 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.
Top honours were awarded to those who led with vision and executed with precision:
- Brand of the Year: TFG – The Foschini Retail Group
- Agency of the Year: VML
- Best in Show: Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money!
The SMARTIES South Africa sponsors, TikTok & Takealot and the MMA South Africa strategic partners Standard Bank and MTN ADS’s support is instrumental in bringing SMARTIES to life — and in spotlighting the work that’s shaping the future of marketing.
Congratulations to all the winners.
| Channel | Category | Entry Name | Advertiser/Brand | Lead Agency | |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Omnichannel Marketing | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper | Gorilla |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Omnichannel Marketing | Battle of the billboards | South African Breweries | iProspect SA – Dentsu |
| GOLD | Impact Media | Omnichannel Marketing | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Pick n Pay asap! | Gorilla |
| GOLD | Impact Media | Omnichannel Marketing | A Sky High Journey Through South African Skies | L’Oréal South Africa | The MediaShop |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Omnichannel Marketing | Checkers’ Little Shop Goes Xtra | Checkers South Africa | 99c Advertising |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Omnichannel Marketing | Old Mutual Two-Pot Retirement Digital Enablement | Old Mutual | Futuretech & UM |
| GOLD | Impact Media | Cross Digital Media Marketing | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Pick n Pay asap! | Gorilla |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Cross Digital Media Marketing | 101 Ways Campaign | Unilever | Machine_ |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Cross Digital Media Marketing | Fraud is no Fairytale | Standard Bank | VML |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Cross Digital Media Marketing | School of Scam- #BeatTheScam | Standard Bank- South Africa | Standard Bank-South Africa |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Gaming Gamification & E-Sports | Clicks ClubCard Festive Gamification Campaign | Clicks Group | Hailr |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Gaming Gamification & E-Sports | Lifebuoy Global Handwashing Day | Unilever | Oliver Marketing |
| GOLD | Impact Media | Social Media Marketing | NASA Won’t Confirm It But TikTok Will: Lunch Bar’ | Mondelez | VML |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Social Media Marketing | Pep Dry and Detect Towerls | Pep | Ogilvy South Africa |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Social Media Marketing | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper | Gorilla |
| GOLD | Impact Media | Social Media Marketing | Raising the bar for Sunlight Green Bar | Unilever | MullenLowe South Africa |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Social Media Marketing | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Pick n Pay asap! | Gorilla |
| GOLD | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | How a UFO Cover-Up Sold Millions of Lunch Bars | Mondelez | VML |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | kykNET Hier (DStv) | DStv SA | DStv SA |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper | Gorilla |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | Raising the bar for Sunlight Green Bar | Unilever | MullenLowe South Africa |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | Dove Men+Care Conversations | Unilever South Africa | Oliver Marketing South Africa |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | Tinkies Holiday Spice | Tiger Brands | Hellosquare |
| SILVER | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | I Grew It: Finance 101 | Absa Bank Limited | Until Until Agency & Events |
| BRONZE | Impact Media | Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing | Your Story Matters Brand Campaign | Absa Bank Limited | OnPoint PR & Lifestyle Management |
| SILVER | Experience Tech | Programmatic | Sustainable Programmatic Power | Toyota | Carbon1 & Publicis |
| SILVER | Experience Tech | Programmatic | Exceeding Expectations With Jungle Oats | Broadbrand | Broadbrand |
| BRONZE | Experience Tech | Programmatic | Vodapay Summer Hydra achieves 708% ROAS | Vodacom | 365 Digital |
| BRONZE | Experience Tech | Programmatic | McDonald’s Festive Make Happy Happen campaign | Eskimi and OMD South Africa | Eskimi |
| GOLD | Experience Tech | Programmatic | AUDI AFTERSALES SERVICE CAMPAIGN ’24 | Audi | Rookdigital |
| GOLD | Experience Tech | Data Insights / Contextual Marketing | TFG Precision Marketing | TFG – The Foschini Retail Group | TFG |
| SILVER | Experience Tech | Data Insights / Contextual Marketing | Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent Audience | Shoprite | Rainmaker Media |
| SILVER | Experience Tech | Data Insights / Contextual Marketing | Data Clean Room | Standard Bank | Rainmaker Media |
| BRONZE | Experience Tech | WEB 3.0 Technologies Marketing | Simba ROARRRS: Immersive VR at Joburg Day | PepsiCo Inc. | Simunye Media |
| BRONZE | Ecommerce | Customer (CX) / User Experience (UX) & Design | Spotify Track Your Racks | Standard Bank South Africa | M&C Saatchi Abel |
| BRONZE | Ecommerce | Customer (CX) / User Experience (UX) & Design | Fraud is no Fairytale | Standard Bank | Standard Bank |
| SILVER | Ecommerce | O2O / New Retail / Innovative & New Tech Sales Channels | Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent Audience | Shoprite | Rainmaker Media |
| SILVER | AI Marketing | Innovative Use of AI in Advertising | Real Beauty Generation | Unilever | VML South Africa |
| BRONZE | AI Marketing | Innovative Use of AI in Advertising | Exceeding Expectations With Jungle Oats | Broadbrand | Broadbrand |
| GOLD | AI Marketing | AI-Powered Audience Engagement | TFG Precision Marketing | TFG – The Foschini Retail Group | TFG |
| BRONZE | AI Marketing | AI-Powered Audience Engagement | Lifebuoy Global Handwashing Day | Unilever | Oliver Marketing |
| GOLD | AI Marketing | AI-Driven Creative Excellence | Standard Bank AI-Powered Music Ads | Standard Bank | M&C Saatchi Abel |
| BRONZE | AI Marketing | AI-Driven Creative Excellence | Exceeding Expectations With Jungle Oats | Broadbrand | Broadbrand |
| GOLD | Creative | Personalization | TFG Precision Marketing | TFG – The Foschini Retail Group | TFG |
| GOLD | Creative | Short or Long Form Video | Checkers Delivering Something Xtra This Christmas | Checkers South Africa | 99c Advertising |
| BRONZE | Creative | Short or Long Form Video | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Pick n Pay asap! | Gorilla |
| SILVER | Creative | Short or Long Form Video | Nedbank Youth Honours Board | Nedbank | Joe Public |
| GOLD | Purpose Driven Marketing | Social Impact Marketing | Pep Dry and Detect Towerls | Pep | Ogilvy South Africa |
| SILVER | Purpose Driven Marketing | Social Impact Marketing | When you see it | Vodacom Foundation | Ogilvy |
| BRONZE | Purpose Driven Marketing | Social Impact Marketing | DStv presents ‘What’s Next?’ | DStv | DStv |
| SILVER | Purpose Driven Marketing | Social Impact Marketing | I Grew It: Finance 101 | Absa Bank Limited | Until Until Agency & Events |
| GOLD | Purpose Driven Marketing | Brand Purpose / Activism | Real Beauty Generation | Unilever | VML South Africa |
| SILVER | Purpose Driven Marketing | Brand Purpose / Activism | Pep Dry and Detect Towerls | Pep | Ogilvy South Africa |
| BRONZE | Purpose Driven Marketing | Brand Purpose / Activism | Fraud is no Fairytale | Standard Bank | Standard Bank |
| BRONZE | Purpose Driven Marketing | Brand Purpose / Activism | Absa Run Your City | Absa | Avatar |
| BRONZE | Purpose Driven Marketing | Brand Purpose / Activism | Dove – Buy Dove Give Love | Unilever | Rainmaker Media |
| SILVER | Purpose Driven Marketing | Brand Purpose / Activism | Dove Men+Care Conversations | Unilever South Africa | Oliver Marketing South Africa |
| GOLD | Purpose Driven Marketing | Diversity & Inclusion | Real Beauty Generation | Unilever | VML South Africa |
| BRONZE | Purpose Driven Marketing | Diversity & Inclusion | Omo Qina Ndoda Campaign | Unilever | Naked Brain Communications |
| SILVER | Purpose Driven Marketing | Diversity & Inclusion | Express Yourself in 100 Colours | Unilever | Oliver Marketing |
| GOLD | Purpose Driven Marketing | Diversity & Inclusion | Foundation for the Nation | Estee Lauder South Africa | Lumico (Pty) Ltd |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Brand Experience | Lunch Bar UFOs & The Biggest Chocolate Cover-Up | Mondelez | VML |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Brand Experience | Checkers Delivering Something Xtra This Christmas | Checkers South Africa | 99c Advertising |
| BRONZE | Marketing Impact | Brand Experience | Checkers: Play Better Together | Shoprite Group of Companies | 99c |
| BRONZE | Marketing Impact | Brand Experience | Coke Studio | Coca-Cola South Africa | Offlimit Communications |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Brand Experience | Benny South Africa | Benny South Africa | Freshive Digital Agency |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Customer Journey Marketing – Lead Generation / CRM | TFG Precision Marketing | TFG – The Foschini Retail Group | TFG |
| BRONZE | Marketing Impact | Customer Journey Marketing – Lead Generation / CRM | Heineken Silver 2.0 | Heineken Beverages | Honest Marketing & Dentsu Redstar |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Customer Journey Marketing – Lead Generation / CRM | Push Notification Strategy | Nando’s | VML |
| BRONZE | Marketing Impact | Customer Journey Marketing – Lead Generation / CRM | Takealot The Ultimate Checkout | Takealot Online (Pty) Ltd | Blue Robot |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Customer Journey Marketing – Lead Generation / CRM | Power up with Restonic | Sleep Group | Offlimit Communications |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Product and / or Service Launch | Checkers Sixty60 DotCom Launch | Shoprite | Rainmaker Media |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Product and / or Service Launch | Reboost Watermelon Splash | BevCo | Hellosquare |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Product and / or Service Launch | KFC Braam Play | KFC | Mindshare |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Instant Impact / Promotion | Battle of the billboards | South African Breweries | iProspect SA – Dentsu |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Instant Impact / Promotion | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Pick n Pay asap! | Gorilla |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Instant Impact / Promotion | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Price Palooza | Pick n Pay Smart Shopper | Gorilla |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Instant Impact / Promotion | Nivea Sales Driver – Sixty60 In App Credit | Beiersdorf | Rainmaker Media |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Real Time Marketing | Bank Your Time | Nedbank | Nedbank |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Real Time Marketing | Isuzu X-Ryder 1.9: Real-Time Marketing Success | Isuzu | Avatar Agency / FutureTech |
| BRONZE | Marketing Impact | Real Time Marketing | Game-on technology unlocks high-impact omnichannel | Lays | Vicinity Media |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Small Budget Big Impact | Step Into My Slippers | Reach for a Dream | Sauce Advertising |
| GOLD | Marketing Impact | Small Budget Big Impact | Checkers LiquorShop Purchase Intent Audience | Shoprite | Rainmaker Media |
| BRONZE | Marketing Impact | Small Budget Big Impact | SuperSport SA20 Quiz Challenge | SuperSport | Blue Robot |
| SILVER | Marketing Impact | Small Budget Big Impact | Himalaya’s TikTok Triumph Boostings Sales by 116% | Himalaya Wellness | 365 Digital |
| Industry Awards | |||||
| Brand of the Year | TFG – The Foschini Retail Group | ||||
| Agency of the Year | VML | ||||
| Best in Show | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! |
