Awards Wrap: 2025 YOBA finalists revealed, Marketing Achievement Awards to host Marketing Professionals’ Ball, Effie Academy launches in SA

The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.

Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards finalists revealed

The 4th annual Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards (YOBAs) has officially announced its 2025 finalists at a vibrant gathering hosted at the Courtyard Hotel in Waterfall City. Established to honour the legacy of 16 June 1976, the Top 16 not only symbolises youth empowerment but also aligns with the African Union’s designation of this date as the Day of the African Child.

“The YOBAs have, over the past four years, set a benchmark for recognising youth-led innovation and impact,” said Pat Mahlangu, founder of the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards. “This platform continues to grow into a powerful movement that validates the efforts of young Africans who are reshaping the business landscape.”

The 2025 YOBAs, which are proudly sponsored by First National Bank and WesBank, as gold partner sponsors, recognise finalists across 17 categories, including two new Pan-African categories that spotlight brands from East Africa and the SADC region.

The winners will announced at a celebratory awards ceremony on 21 June 2025 in Sandton, in honour of Youth Month.

FNB’s eBucks honoured with four awards for excellence at the 2025 International Loyalty Awards

FNB’s rewards programme, eBucks, has received four prestigious awards at the 2025 International Loyalty Awards, held in Dubai recently.

eBucks was named the Best Global Loyalty Programme/Initiative in Financial Services for the second consecutive year and, notably, the Best Long-Term Loyalty Programme Worldwide 2025. In addition, the programme was also awarded the International Loyalty Programme of the Year for Africa and the Loyalty Trailblazers’ award for Zama Ngubane, eBucks Rewards Head at FNB, which is an accolade that recognises trailblazers shaping the future of loyalty programmes.

 These awards recognise excellence and innovation among brands that go beyond expectations to create engaging and customer centric loyalty programmes in their industry.

Pieter Woodhatch, eBucks Rewards CEO says, “To be recognised as the ‘Best Long-Term Loyalty Program Worldwide 2025’ amongst other notable honours, by the prestigious International Loyalty Awards is indeed an honour and an acknowledgement of a business that strives for true excellence and customer impact.”

Ngubane, adds, “We’ve made great strides in tailoring our rewards to cater to the real needs of consumers across all income segments through the smart use of consumer insights.”

Marketing Achievement Awards to honour SA’s elite at Marketing Professionals’ Ball

South Africa’s marketing professionals are invited to an evening of celebration and networking at The MAA Marketing Professionals’ Ball, hosted by the prestigious Marketing Achievement Awards (MAAs). Taking place on Thursday, 29 May 2025, at the Sandton Convention Centre Ballroom, this event promises to be a highlight of the marketing calendar.

More than just an awards ceremony, the MAA Marketing Professionals’ Ball is a celebration of South African marketing’s power to ignite business, drive the economy, and shape our culture. Guests will raise a glass to the most impactful strategies, the most innovative work, and the exceptional talent propelling the profession forward.

Attendees can look forward to:

• Celebrating Success: Be inspired by this year’s most impactful marketing achievements and the significant work shaping the industry’s future.
• Connecting with Key Players: Network with influential leaders and innovators in South African business, forging valuable professional relationships.
• Elegant Revelry: Applaud the winners, celebrate in style with engaging entertainment, a sophisticated atmosphere, and a night of dancing.

Tickets are available at R12 500 ex VAT per table of 10 or R1,250 ex VAT per person. Special rates have been negotiated by MASA to encourage industry-wide participation. Tables of 12 are also available upon enquiry.

Mondelēz International’s LunchBar bags triple gold at 2025 MMA Smarties SA awards

Mondelēz International Sub-Saharan Africa has reason to celebrate after its iconic Cadbury LunchBar brand clinched three Gold Awards at this year’s MMA Smarties SA Awards, held in Sandton on 8 May.

The Cadbury LunchBar campaign won Gold in the Social Media Marketing, Brand Experience, and Influencer/Content Creator Marketing categories for its now-famous Bra Lucas 1.0 campaign – a uniquely South African concept that resonated with consumers across the country.

Initially launched in 2024 as a bold and unconventional idea, Bra Lucas quickly grew into a multi-dimensional, integrated marketing campaign. His story continued into 2025 as part of Cadbury LunchBar’s 60th birthday celebrations, amplifying the brand’s relevance in a digitally connected and culturally rich market.

“This campaign was a celebration of local flavour, humour, and relatability. Bra Lucas became more than just a marketing character; he became a symbol of having it all figured out in everyday life,” explains Arpan Sur, senior marketing director, Sub-Saharan Africa at Mondelēz International. “These awards reflect the work and creative vision of our entire team and our commitment to delivering Much, Much More to our consumers.”

 Musa Kalenga is innovation juror at Mark Awards 2025

Innovation is not an award category, it is not a brainstorm, and it is not a campaign add-on. According to Brave Group CEO Musa Kalenga, innovation is now a fundamental business demand, and right now, too few brands are taking it seriously.

Kalenga, just announced as a juror in the Innovation category of the 2025 Mark Awards, is calling for a reset in how the industry thinks about relevance and creative progress. “We don’t innovate to be different, we innovate to remain necessary,” he says. “Too much of what we call innovation today is just iteration. True innovation challenges assumptions, reshapes how we think, and forces us to rebuild what no longer works.”

At the Brave Group, Kalenga has championed a philosophy that puts transformation at the heart of strategy. The agency’s work reflects a belief in the power of big thinking, cultural intelligence, and technological fluency to solve real problems. “Clients don’t need more noise. They need creative interventions that shift outcomes and reframe possibilities,” he adds.

The Innovation category at this year’s Mark Awards, sponsored by OLIVER, recognises work that creates meaningful change. It celebrates the campaigns, platforms, and provocations that don’t just improve the status quo but render it obsolete.

Gratitude and good news from Re.Bag.Re.Use

Re.Bag.Re.Use recently shared the exciting news that Re.Bag.Re.Use was a finalist in the 2025 SABRE Awards Africa. Now the NGO has announced it has been named the winner in the Fashion & Beauty category.

“This recognition celebrates not only our beautiful products, but also the purpose, people and planet-friendly values stitched into each one,” the organisation said.

“We are so proud and deeply grateful. It is a clear sign that we are onto something meaningful and that we are heading in the right direction, one stitch at a time.

“A heartfelt thank you to every collector, cutter, crocheter, customer and cheerleader who is part of this journey.”

Effie Academy launches in South Africa

Effie South Africa has launched the Effie Academy – a globally recognised platform designed to embed effectiveness at the heart of marketing practice. Supporting marketers throughout their careers, Effie Academy equips professionals and students alike with the thinking, rigour, and case-led insight to deliver Ideas That Work^®.

Two flagship programmes will be offered in South Africa from 2025: Effie Fundamentals and Effie College. Each is built on the globally recognised Effie Framework for Marketing Effectiveness – a leading, open-access platform developed to help marketers perform at the highest level.

“Effie’s mission has always been to champion effectiveness. With the Effie Academy, we’re building that into the future of the industry – not just by rewarding the work that works, but by teaching how to get there,” says Gillian Rightford, ACA Executive Director for Effie South Africa. “These programmes are an investment in the people who create the work – from students entering the field to professionals sharpening their edge.”

Drawing on Effie’s extensive library of award-winning cases and guided by some of the world’s leading marketing minds, both programmes offer learning that blends theory and practice in a globally relevant, locally adapted format.

Effie Fundamentals is CPD-accredited through the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), at CMSA level, but relevant also to AMSA and MPSA, while Effie College is designed to enrich university curricula with immersive, real-world learning that connects students directly with industry.

Seven agencies in Middle East & Africa Region win in global ADC 104th Annual Awards

Seven agencies and designers in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and United Arab Emirates are among those in 41 countries who were announced as global winners at the ADC 104th Annual Awards ceremony, announced during The One Club for Creativity’s Creative Week 2025 in New York.

Publicis Middle East Dubai is the region’s only ADC Gold Cube winner this year, working with Mango Jam Dubai, Melt Dubai and Prodigious Dubai on ColourChec” on behalf of Babyshop in Product Design, Children’s Products.

South Africa won:

Bronze

• Pola Maneli Port Elizabeth “Narrating Slavery’s Wake” for The Smithsonian Institute in Illustration, Wildcard – Series

Merit

• BCKRDS Johannesburg “54 Collective Rebrand” for 54 Collective in Brand/Communication Design, Rebranding

Schneider Electric honoured with the Gender Leader Award at the 2025 Africa CEO Forum

Schneider Electric , the global leader in energy management and automation, and recognised sustainability leader, has been awarded the Gender Leader Award at this year’s Africa CEO Forum, held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast from 12 to 13 May 2025.

The Gender Leader Award acknowledges those organisations operating in Africa that have shown a significant and continuous commitment to gender diversity and inclusion. It is part of the Africa CEO Forum’s larger objective to provide practical, innovative solutions that empower African businesses and promote sustainable, inclusive development.

This year’s award recognises Schneider Electric’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace across its African operations. The company’s African leadership is spearheaded by women, with female leaders at the helm – currently for French-speaking Africa and, starting 1 June, for English-speaking Africa.

Tanya Ramlagan, vice president of human resources for Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric, says: “We are incredibly proud of this recognition.  It is undoubtedly a testament to our commitment to inclusive leadership.

Grand Prix winners for the WARC Awards 2025 go to India, Netherlands, Spain and USA

The highest accolades of the The WARC Awards for Effectiveness 2025, in association with LIONS, are announced. The awards honour the best marketing campaigns from across the globe that deliver strategic brilliance and effective impact to drive commercial success.

Five Global Grands Prix have been awarded following a rigorous judging process and much deliberation by the Grand Prix awarding jury, made up of all five regional jury chairs and other jury members, representing Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and North America.

Selected from 20 regional gold-winning entries, the Grands Prix showcase the best examples of how marketers are driving growth across different sectors and audiences both for local and global brands.

The US leads with two Grands Prix. India, The Netherlands, and Spain each win one.

Matt Che, Chief Marketing Officer, Budweiser, APAC – APAC jury chair and chair of the grand prix jury said: “This year’s winners aren’t just clever – they’re cultural brewers crafting impact. Sharp insights, fermented with hyper-local creative solutions, brewed into masterpieces rooted in tradition yet tackling today’s problems.”

John Bizzell, Awards Lead, WARC, added: “Selected from the hundreds of entries from around the world, the five Grand Prix campaigns set the bar high for effective marketing. This outstanding work, alongside all the winners of this year’s WARC Awards for Effectiveness, will be an inspiration for future successes. We thank all our dedicated juries and congratulate all of the winners.”

The five Grand Prix winners for the WARC Awards 2025 are:

• Channel Pioneer Grand Prix: ‘Find Your Summer’ for Magnum by Lola MullenLowe, Madrid
• Customer Experience Grand Prix: ‘Horror Codes’ for Uber Eats by Retink, New York
• Partnerships & Sponsorships Grand Prix: ‘Michael CeraVe’ for CeraVe by Ogilvy, New York
• Strategic Thinking Grand Prix: ‘A Piece of Me’ for KPN by Dentsu Creative, Amsterdam
• Use of Data Grand Prix: ‘Turf Finder’ for Gatorade by Leo, Mumbai