Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

March 27 2025, 9:01 pm | BY Ricki Green | 1 Comment
Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

The winners of the 45th AXIS Awards have just been announced tonight at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland, where the industry gathered to recognise and acknowledge outstanding creative campaigns from the past 12 months. Following a two-month entry period and two rounds of judging by industry experts, the Commercial Communications Council awarded 84 Bronze, 62 Silver, 30 Gold and 3 Grands Prix along with winners across its Special Awards.

 

It was Colenso BBDO‘s night with the agency taking out the coveted AXIS Agency of the Year title after amassing two Grands Prix, the Grand AXIS and 11 Gold AXIS Awards. Its ‘Adoptable. By PEDIGREE’ campaign for Mars won a Grand Prix in the Innovation in Out of Home category and the ‘Tech Driven Creative’ category. The agency also collected two Gold AXIS Awards for Spark New Zealand ‘Killabyte’ and two Gold for Mars Whiskas ‘Meowzer’.




Special has a stellar evening with the agency securing a Grand Prix for DB Breweries ‘Export Ultra Cold Call Back Service’ in the Brand Experience & Activation – Integrated Campaign category, which also won six Gold AXIS Awards. Special also won a Gold for KFC ‘KFCURRENCY’ created in collaboration with Stanley St.


Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

Motion Sickness celebrated the evening with five Golds, three for The New Zealand Herpes Foundation ‘Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes’ and two for Karangahape Road Business Association ‘EAT IT’.


Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

The Sweetshop was named Production Company of the Year with two Gold Awards, one for Waka Kotahi – New Zealand Transport Agency ‘Hard Lessons’ and one for Auto Trader ‘Tell New Zealand about your car’. The Sweetshop also celebrated its chairperson and founding partner Paul Prince, who was awarded with a special Outstanding Contribution to the Industry honour.



DDB Group Aotearoa scored two Golds – one for Goodman Fielder’s ‘Vogel’s Certified Toasters’ and one for McDonald’s New Zealand ‘McDonald’s Ad-ons’.

Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

Also collecting a Gold was Assembly for Hospitals United for Sick Kids ‘Lightyears from home’; Clemenger UnLtd for Ministry of Social Development ‘Love Creep’ and Saatchi & Saatchi for Toyota New Zealand ‘Hilux Hybrid – 3.5 Tonne Headline’.


Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

Download the full list of winners here to view the Silver and Bronze winners.

This year’s convenor of judges Gary Steele, Chief Creative Officer at DDB Group Aotearoa said: “AXIS is about celebrating creativity that makes you jealous and this year was no different. The winning entries did just that through their smart thinking and beautiful craft, and I’m sure when you see them, you will be as jealous as I was”.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Emerging Talent Award (Craft):
Connor Pritchard, Director, Good Oil

Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

Emerging Talent Award (Advertising):
Robert Laking (above left), Junior Art Director and Herman Ulberg (above right), Junior Copywriter, DDB Group Aotearoa

Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

AXIS Student Challenge Winners:
Willow Whitman (above right) and Zack Ridell (above left) for ‘KinSultants’ (FCB Aotearoa)

Colenso BBDO takes out coveted Agency of the Year title at 45th AXIS Awards; The Sweetshop named Production Company of the Year

Outstanding Contribution to the Industry
Paul Prince (pictured above), Chairperson and Founding Partner of The Sweetshop

Grands Prix
Colenso BBDO for Mars ‘Adoptable. By PEDIGREE’ in Innovation in Out of Home
Colenso BBDO for Mars ‘Adoptable. By PEDIGREE’ in Tech Driven Creative
Special for DB Breweries ‘Export Ultra Cold Call Back Service’ in Brand Experience & Activation – Integrated Campaign

Production Company of the Year
The Sweetshop

Client of the Year
Mars

Craft Grand Axis
Assembly for Hospitals United for Sick Kids ‘Lightyears from home’

Grand Axis
Colenso BBDO for Mars ‘Adoptable’

The 2025 AXIS Awards were presented by the Comms Council and were made possible through sponsorship from Cartology, Meta, NZME, oOh!media, Stuff, The Radio Bureau, and TVNZ.

The Comms Council extends a special congratulations to all finalists and winners of the 2025 AXIS Awards.

For a complete list of winners, please visit: https://commscouncil.nz/axis

 

Want to leave a comment? Share your thoughts below, making sure to include your full name and email address. If you have a news tip or story idea, please feel free to email ricki@campaignbrief.com.