CB NZ’s The Work: The best ads of the year [so far]

Campaign Brief selects New Zealand’s best work in 2026 that seems destined for award show success this year.

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Outward Bound ‘Become a Weapon’ (Motion Sickness)

Published here on CB (Mar 1, 2026)

Agency / Production Company: Motion Sickness
Head of Strategy: Hilary Ngan Kee
Strategist: Logan Barnes
General Manager: Alex McManus
Account Director: Matthew Campher
Executive Creative Director: Sam Stuchbury
Creative Director: Melina Fiolitakis
Senior Creative: Sylvia Humphries
Senior Art Director: Hamish Steptoe
Junior Creatives: Oska Meyer, Michael Ukwu, Ned Pound
Artworker: Moana Peterson
Head of Māori Culture: Kātene Durie-Doherty
Senior Media Planner: Shannon O’Connell
Digital Media Planner: Ella Liddell
Head of Production: Joseph McAlpine
Producers: Morgan Leary, Aime Gellert
Offline/Online Editor: Damian Golfinopoulos
Account Executive: Anna Hobbs

Director & Photographer: Frances Carter @ Loupe Agency
Director of Photography: Caleb Corlett
Lighting: MOODY
Wardrobe & Make-up: Katie Melody Rogers
Offline Editor: Archie Porter (Supernormal)
Colourist: Max Ferguson-Hook
Music Composition & Sound Design: James & Oli @ Cay Works
Casting: Emily Laurich
Client: Outward Bound
CEO: Malindi MacLean
Head of Marketing: Crystal Kaiwai
Head of Fundraising: Josh Borthwick

Featured Weapons:
Gabriel, Jordie, Oliver, Drishtee, Laura, Michael, Cosima, Alejandro, Coco, Angel, Angela, Jennifer, Lola, Sparssh, Billy, Oska, Taaniko, Milan, Charlotte, Braydon, Ian, Dylan, Teresa, Sophie, Chris, Joe and Ben.

Woolworths Bricks Home activation via dentsu Aotearoa

Published here on CB (Feb 27, 2026)

Contact Energy ‘It’s Good to be Home’ (Special New Zealand)

Published here on CB (Feb 26, 2026)

Client: Contact
Sera Flint, Head of Brand and Marketing
Shea Whittington, Advertising Communications Manager
Ben Erwood, Marketing Communications Lead
Rachel Shipman, Marketing Communications Lead
Sam Morse, Head of Innovation and Growth

Agency: Special
Tony Bradbourne, Creative Chairman and CEO
Lisa Fedyszyn,Chief Creative Officer
Jonathan McMahon, Chief Creative Officer
Steve Hansen, Creative Director
Sam Taunton-Clark, Creative
Katie Mortensen, Head of Production
Liz Garneau, Executive Producer
Chris Marshall, Account Director
Ruby Koia, Senior Business Manager
Molly Morton, Senior Business Manager
Rory Gallery, Chief Strategy Officer
Ursula Nichols-London, Group Strategy Director

Media Agency: Together
Penelope Brown, Managing Director – Media
Sam Boniface, Client Principal
Emma Inglis, Planning Director
Kristine Gonzaga, Senior Performance Planning Director
Melvin Hadi, Activation Director
Danika Parkinson, Planning Executive

Production Company: Division
Sanjay De Silva, Director
Genevieve Triquet, Managing Director / Executive Producer
Ylande Dewey, Producer
Max Walter, DOP
Thad Lawrence, Gaffer
Kayne Asher, Key Grip
Adam Martin, Sound Recordist
Robert Key, Production Designer
Jamie Thomson, Construction Manager
Jules Armishaw, Wardrobe/Makeup
Antony Alono, Lead Talent
Tim Mauger, Offline Editor

Flux Animation
Laban Dickinson, Executive Creative Director
Joshua Forsman, Executive Producer
Aldyn Lin, Producer
Conrad Crooks, Technical Director
Jeremy Ball, Technical Director
Pania Williams, Onset VFX Supervisor
Chaz Holland, CFX Artist
Goran Trpkov, CFZ and Groom Artist
Kate Matveenko, 3D Character Artist
Harrison Wiltshire, 3D Generalist
Duncan Van der Schyff, 3D Generalist
Tim Liu, Lead Animator
Lucius Koh, Lead Animator
Joon Yoon, Senior 3D Animator
Lily Martin-Babin, Intermediate 3D Animator

Match Artists
Troy Goodall, Stills Photographer

Grading: MP Colour – Matic Prusnik, Colourist
Music: Level Two Music – Marcus Brooke-Smith, Music Supervisor
Sound Design: Franklin RD Music & Sound – Shane Taipari, Sound Engineer

NZEI Te Riu Roa ‘Make It Stop’ (Bad Magic)

Published here on CB (Feb 25, 2026)

Bad Magic
Hearts & Science
Sweetshop
Match
Liquid Studios
AO Studios
DAOS Consulting

McDonald’s NZ ‘You Know Where’ (McCann NZ, previously DDB Aotearoa)

Published on CB here (Feb 25, 2026)

Picked in Bestads Best Outdoor of the Week – Top 6 (Mar 4, 2026)

McDonald’s NZ
Luke Rive – Director of Marketing
Leigh Benvie – Head of Brand & Media
Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand
Media Agency: OMD New Zealand

Unichem x Life Pharmacy ‘Make Your Problems Our Problem’ (McCann NZ, formally FCB Aotearoa)

Published here on CB (Feb 23, 2026)

Client: Green Cross Health
Agency: McCann NZ, previously FCB Aotearoa
Media: FCB Media
Head client: Edwina Neilson
Retail Marketing Manager: Jenna Cook
Creative Director: Alan Jones, Angelo An
Art Director: Willow Whitham
Copywriter: Zac Riddell
Photographer: Mike Braid
Producer: Elizabeth Roebuck
Head of Creative Technology: James McMullan
Account Director: Jasmine Lawrence
Design: Rob Flynn, Maria Bush
Retoucher: Alex Reznick

Bendon ‘No Woman is One Woman’ (YS.)

Published here on CB, (Feb 16, 2026)

Client: Bendon
Creative Agency: YS
CCO: Corey Chalmers
CD/Director: Julie Spedding
Chief Strategy Officer: Sue Kipling
Strategist: Lydia Sleeman-Bailey
Photographer: Simon Upton
DOP: Taylor Prichard
Producer: Chantal Hoogvliet
Editor: Simon Murtagh
Designers: Meagan Bach, Alana Shelton & Sophie Alexander
Social: Antonia Cosma
Media Agency: Thompson Spencer
Sound Design: Shane Taipari – Franklin Road

Southern Cross Health Society x Southern Cross Healthcare ‘The Feel Good Project’ (TBWA NZ)

Published here on CB (Feb 11, 2026)

Client: Southern Cross Health Society and Southern Cross Healthcare
Regan Savage – Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Southern Cross Health Society
Tony Reid – Chief Communications & Brand Officer, Southern Cross
David Simpson – Chief of Strategy & Partnerships, Southern Cross Healthcare
Ryan Koppens – Head of Sales & Distribution, Southern Cross Health Society
Louise von Sierakowski – Head of Brand, Marketing, Communications, Southern Cross Healthcare
Christina Knappik – Brand Lead, Southern Cross
Frith Wilson-Hughes – Content Marketing Manager, Southern Cross Health Society
Alice van de Wende – Brand & Acquisition Lead, Southern Cross Health Society

Creative Agency: TBWA\ New Zealand
Chief Executive Officer: Catherine Harris
General Manager: Simon Mills
Chief Creative Officer: Shane Bradnick
Creative Director: Ashwin Gopal
Creative Director: Gavin Siakimotu
Lead Integrated Producer: Tabitha Parke-Gailey
Group Business Director: Hariette Hanson
Senior Business Director: Monique Seil
Head of Strategy: Jo Judd
Strategy Director: Haley Hetherington
Senior Designer: Jim Walsh
Studio Manager: Mark Paise
Head of Production: Jodie Hari
Senior Business Manager: Vinny Cannings

Production Company: Revolver
Directors: King She
Managing Director/Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer/Partner: Pip Smart
Executive Producer: Caroline Kruck
Director of Photography: Jeremy Rouse

Post Production Company: ARC
HERO TVC
Offline Editor: Lorin Askill
Online Editor: Eugene Richards & Chris Betteridge
Colourist: Matic Prusnik
BTS Members stories
Offline Editor: Liam James + Lissie Geyer
Online Editor: Chris Betteridge
Colourist: Sam Holman

Stills Photography : Sam I Am
Photographer: Billy Plummer
Stills Producer: Rich Cole

Audio House: Franklin Rd
Executive Music & Sound Producer : Jonathan Mihaljevich
Sound Design: Shane Taipari

Meadow Fresh ‘Fantasy Herd’ (McCann NZ, formerly DDB Aotearoa)

Published here on CB (Feb 10, 2026)

Picked in CB’s Creative Circle (Mar 2026) by Stu Mallarkey

Picked in CB’s Creative Circle (Mar 2026) by Bobbie McKay

Danielle Dyson – Head of Marketing, Dairy
Jen Jones – Meadow Fresh Marketing Manager
Harriet Munro – Meadow Fresh Brand Manager
Michelle Petry – Category Activation Manager – Dairy
Creative Agency: McCann New Zealand
Film Company: Sweetshop New Zealand + The Gardening Club
Media Agency: Together
PR Agency: Mango Communications

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi ‘Speed Demons’ (McCann NZ, previously FCB Aotearoa)

Published here on CB (Jan 28, 2026)

Picked in CB’s Creative Circle (Mar 2026) by Sarah Shepherd

Picked in CB’s Creative Circle (Mar 2026) by Jordan Stent

Youthline ‘Help Us Answer’ (Droga5 ANZ)

Published here on CB (Jan 23, 2026)

Client: Youthline New Zealand
CEO: Shae Ronald
GM Fundraising and Marketing: Anastasia Potter
Senior Direct & Digital Marketing Specialist: Elijahh Raki

Creative Agency: Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton & Barbara Humphries
Principal Director: Steve Kane
Chief Strategy Officer: Stevie Weber
Group Business Director: Ruth Coulson
Business Manager: Lily Tootill
Executive Creative Directors: Christie Cooper & James Conner
Senior Art Director: Erin Clarke
Senior Copywriter: Katrina Menary
GM & Executive Producer: Rosie Grayson
Integrated Producer: Callum Crabb
Lead Designer: Lucinda Fortescue-Hansen
Senior Finished Artist: Lisa Stowers
Intermediate Graphic Designer: Vivian Heng

Haier ‘Haier Up Your Home Game’ (TBWA\NZ)

Published here on CB (Jan 13, 2026)

Picked in CB’s Creative Circle (Feb 2026) by Raymond Otene McKay

Creative Agency: TBWA
Production Partner: Flying Fish
Director: Matt Bieler
Audio & Sound Design: Franklin Road

Have we missed anything? Send your suggestions to ricki@campaignbrief.com.

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