Leo Australia has won the top honour at the 2025 Australian Effie Awards, taking out the Grand Effie for its work with Suncorp, in recognition of a campaign that reshaped category conventions and drove strong business results.
The agency’s entry, *From Recovery to Resilience: How Suncorp Rewrote Insurance Rules and Revitalised Its Business*, was praised by judges as “a showcase of effectiveness that all marketers should aspire to”. The work spanned multi-year initiatives including One House to Save Many, Resilience Road, and If Your Home Could Talk.
Leo Australia CEO Clare Pickens commented on the agency’s Grand Effie win last night: “What an incredible night! The Effies hold a special place for us at Leo because we believe our creative work should drive real business impact – and continue to do so over time. Winning the Grand Effie for long-term effectiveness with our Suncorp partners is a tremendous honour. It reflects the talent and dedication of so many across our team. And it speaks directly to our ambition to create ideas that go beyond campaigns – shaping culture, building brands, and delivering lasting value for our clients.”
Six Gold Effies were awarded on the night, alongside 21 Silver, 28 Bronze, and five Special Awards. In total, 24 agencies and 26 clients were recognised for delivering outstanding, measurable effectiveness.
The full list of winners is available online.
BMF and ALDI take top effectiveness titles
BMF was named Effective Agency of the Year, earning one gold and four silver awards for its work with ALDI Australia, and another silver for the Attorney-General’s Department.
ALDI was awarded Effective Advertiser of the Year for BMF’s Christmas campaign, Proving That Going Extra Needn’t Cost Extra. Judges commended the campaign’s strong strategic foundation, consumer insight, and narrative execution.
More Gold winners recognised
Clemenger BBDO picked up two Gold Effies for Lifeblood Blood Supply for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Judges said the campaign, which used a media-first approach to turn blood donation into a national news story, was “well-integrated and effective across all metrics, saving up to 28,848 lives”.
VML Australia also claimed two Gold Effies – one for How ADF Careers Drove Effectiveness and Efficiency for Defence Force Recruiting, and another for KitKat Break Chair for Nestlé. Judges highlighted the KitKat campaign as “outstanding, innovative and highly effective” thanks to its strategic thinking and execution.
Special recognition and industry reflection
The Colin Wilson-Brown Award, which honours the Effie Chairman, was presented to Saatchi & Saatchi Australia for Toyota’s The Ultimate Comeback: How a Seasoned Champion Reclaimed the Crown.
Tony Hale, CEO of Advertising Council Australia, said this year’s Effies reflect a shift toward work that delivers beyond the creative: “The Effies have always been about celebrating marketing that truly delivers. This year, we saw an increased number of winners, reflecting a growing focus across the industry on work that moves the needle, challenges conventions, and demonstrates the value of creative impact. Congratulations to all who were recognised for their outstanding achievements.”