A billboard that challenged passersby to ‘rip off’ a 2.8-metre marlin has gone and glued down the Grand Prix at the 2025 OMA Creative Awards.
Howatson+Company took the top prize for its Selleys campaign, “If You Can Take It, It’s Yours,” during a celebratory industry lunch at the Centennial Homestead in Moore Park Wednesday.
The agency used Selleys Liquid Nails to attach a kayak, arcade machine, cricket bat, toolbox, and the aforementioned marlin to a Sydney roadside billboard. The creatives then issued a simple challenge: “If you can take it, it’s yours”.
Speaking on the execution, senior art director Dan Smith, who spearheaded the campaign alongside creative partner Ernie Ciaschetti, explained their choice of location.
“We landed on the spot pretty deliberately,” Smith said. “Early on we explored spreading objects across multiple locations, but the more we worked with production, the more it felt powerful to bring everything together into a single billboard. Finding the right place was key and Newtown gave us this incredible cross-section of tradies, DIYers and everyday people. It meant anyone could walk up, have a go, and immediately understand the idea.”
Pedestrians, tradies, influencers, and even Australia’s second-strongest man tried and failed to remove the items.
Engineering a 400-tonne hold without special effects
“Liquid Nails is incredibly strong stuff, holding up to 400 tonnes, so we did not need as much as you’d think,” he said. “We always work closely with the product teams at Selleys to apply the right amount to get the job done. This isn’t a ‘cover it and hope’ sort of endeavour, although we certainly hoped nothing would come off the billboard.
We engineered the whole setup properly using the recommended application for Liquid Nails. The whole point was that it had to be legit. No tricks or special effects.”
The public’s failed attempts became viral social content. The campaign generated 47 million views while driving lifts in sales and brand awareness for the adhesive brand. As a reward, the lead creative team, prominently featuring Smith and Ciaschetti, will head to the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity this June.
When the time came to dismantle the board, the glue held firm. “We worried more about parts of the marlin snapping off than the glue failing in all honesty, but thankfully that didn’t happen,” Smith added. “We heard someone stuck around until workers cut the marlin away, with the Liquid Nails still intact.”
A masterclass in product demonstration
Charles Parry-Okeden, independent chair of the Outdoor Media Association (OMA), praised the campaign for using the unique characteristics of out of home to deliver a simple but clever idea.
“The Selleys campaign was a masterclass in product demonstration, public engagement, and the unique power of out of home. Congratulations to the winning team,” he said.
Elizabeth McIntyre, chief executive officer of the OMA, noted that this year’s winners reflect the industry’s appetite for boldness and experimentation.
“What we’re seeing from the industry is a deepening confidence in the creative potential of Out of Home,” she said. “The standard continues to rise, and today’s results highlight just how far the sector is pushing the boundaries”.
Reflecting on the win, Smith expressed immense pride in the result on behalf of the agency.
“Winning the Grand Prix is massive for us,” he said. “Selleys came to us with a simple brief to prove the product works. And turning that into something that resonated with tradies, DIYers and the wider community is incredibly rewarding. To have that recognised at this level is something the whole team is proud of. We’d like to thank the whole team, everyone who has touched this campaign, and of course Selleys for putting their trust in us.”
VML Australia used optical illusions, fine-tuned with artificial intelligence and optometrists, to turn transit posters into a diagnosis tool. Image: supplied
VML Australia sweeps three categories
VML Australia also emerged as a standout performer at the awards. The agency secured three category wins for “The Hidden Eye Test,” a campaign created for 1001 Optometry.
The team won Best Classic Campaign, Best Innovation or Sustainability Campaign, and Best Small Format Campaign.
The 1001 Optometry campaign used optical illusions, fine-tuned with artificial intelligence and optometrists, to turn classic transit posters into interactive diagnosis tools.
Now in their second year, the OMA Creative Awards celebrate the most innovative and impactful out of home advertising across Australia. A panel of senior creatives, marketers, and industry leaders selected the winners from entries across six categories.
Other winners in the OMA Awards included the campaigns, The Ashes ‘Unmissable First Ball’ and Just Enough Bank. Image: supplied
Full Winners List: 2025 OMA Creative Awards
Grand Prix Winner
Campaign: If You Can Take It, It’s Yours
Advertiser: Selleys
Creative: Howatson+Company
Best Classic Campaign
Campaign: The Hidden Eye Test
Advertiser: 1001 Optometry
Creative: VML Australia
Best Small Format Campaign
Campaign: The Hidden Eye Test
Advertiser: 1001 Optometry
Creative: VML Australia
Best Special Build Campaign
Campaign: If You Can Take It, It’s Yours
Advertiser: Selleys
Creative: Howatson+Company
Best Digital or Programmatic Campaign
Campaign: The Ashes ‘Unmissable First Ball’
Advertiser: Cricket Australia
Creative: Special
Best Multi-Format Campaign
Campaign: Just Enough Bank
Advertiser: Bankwest
Creative: Bear Meets Eagle On Fire
Best Innovation or Sustainability Campaign
Campaign: The Hidden Eye Test
Advertiser: 1001 Optometry
Creative: VML Australia