Colenso BBDO named Aotearoa Agency of the Year at Spikes Asia 2026 with two Grands Prix; Motion Sickness crowned Independent Agency of the Year
Colenso BBDO Auckland has been named Aotearoa New Zealand Agency of the Year at the 2026 Spikes Asia Awards, alongside claiming two Grand Prix wins – the Audio & Radio Grand Prix for Delivereasy ‘Killer Bees’, ‘Crippled Pigeons’ and ‘Street Condoms’, and the Film Craft Grand Prix with Sweetshop Auckland for Spark ‘It’s Better with Spark’.
Simon Vicars, Chief Creative Officer at Colenso BBDO told CB: “Making stand-out work is the result of so many small moments going the right way. Winning Agency Of The Year at Spikes is important recognition of all the people who willingly and excitedly run that creative gauntlet with us. Angela [Watson, CEO, Colenso BBDO], Rob [Campbell, CSO, Colenso BBDO] and I feel very lucky to be surrounded by the best talent, clients and production partners in the country. To win this title two years in a row is testament to them”
It was also a standout night for Motion Sickness Auckland, which was crowned Independent Agency of the Year and secured the Grand Prix for Good for ‘The Māori Roll Call’ for Whānau Ora, highlighting the strength of New Zealand creativity on the regional stage.
Says Alex McManus (pictured below), Partner and GM at Motion Sickness: “It’s a pretty surreal feeling for the team. Last year was huge for Motion Sickness, and it’s encouraging to see 2026 is showing no signs of slowing down. These awards help recognise this whole company’s incredible talent, our client partners’ trust and bravery, and I think also help confirm that while we’re really great at Herpes, we’re pretty great at other things too.”
Agency of the Year by Market awards included:
Aotearoa New Zealand | Colenso BBDO Auckland
Hong Kong SAR | Leo Hong Kong
India | Leo Mumbai
Indonesia | TU7UH Creative Lab Jakarta
Japan | TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Malaysia | Leo Kuala Lumpur
Australia | VML Sydney
Singapore | Ogilvy Singapore
South Korea | Dminusone, Seoul
Taiwan | Leo Taiwan
Thailand | VML Bangkok
Speaking about the winners, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Spikes Asia continues to spotlight the exceptional creativity emerging from APAC, and this year’s winners demonstrate the power of ideas that are both culturally resonant and commercially effective. We’re seeing a clear evolution in the work – brands are stepping forward as creative partners, while agencies and independents are increasingly focused on measurable impact. Together, they are raising the bar for what creativity can achieve for businesses and society.”
Melanie Speet, Director, Spikes Asia, added: “The growth we’re seeing in areas like Creative Data and Creative Effectiveness shows how the region is embracing creativity that is not only bold, but also accountable. At the same time, the rise in brand participation and continued strength in Design reflects an industry that is expanding who creates great work and how that work drives real results. This year’s winners represent the very best of that evolution.”
This year’s Grand Prix winners are:
Audio & Radio
From 65 entries received, 6 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Delivereasy Killer Bees’, ‘Delivereasy Crippled Pigeons’, ‘Delivereasy Street Condoms’, for Delivereasy, by Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Brand Experience & Activation
From 291 entries received, 24 Spikes were awarded: 4 Gold, 6 Silver, 13 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Darescore’, for Mountain Dew, by Leo, Mumbai
Creative B2B
From 46 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Soil Stay’, for TRA Mongkut Fertilizer, by VML, Bangkok
Creative Commerce
From 49 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Creative Data
From 49 entries received, 5 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Saltanat Light’, for CITIX, by GForce, Almaty
Creative Effectiveness
From 43 entries received, 5 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘No Smiles’, for McDonald’s, by TBWA\HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Creative Strategy
From 110 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Missing Verse: Completing the Bento Symphony’, for Zespri International Japan, by DENTSU INC., Tokyo
Design
From 109 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Best After 2025’, for Takamatsu City, by Shiseido Creative, Tokyo
Digital Craft
From 38 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Haven’, for Suncorp Insurance, by Leo, Sydney
Direct
From 124 entries received, 11 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Acko Tailor’, for Acko General Insurance Limited, by Leo, Mumbai
Entertainment
From 83 entries received, 7 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Ad that can only be seen on SBS’, for Special Broadcasting Service, by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, Sydney
Film
From 192 entries received, 15 Spikes were awarded: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 6 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Dare to Step’, for Gambol, by YDM Thailand, Bangkok
Film Craft
From 164 entries received, 15 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘It’s better with Spark’, for Spark New Zealand, by Sweetshop / Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Gaming
From 35 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘One Noodle’, for Haraku Ramen, by BLKJ HAVAS, Singapore
Glass: The Award for Change
From 18 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 2 Glass Spikes and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Project Early Periods’, for Whisper, by Leo, Mumbai
Grand Prix for Good
The Grand Prix for Good was awarded to ‘The Māori Roll Call’, for Whānau Ora, by Motion Sickness, Auckland
Healthcare
From 94 entries received, 10 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Industry Craft
From 63 entries received, 6 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Craftman.Ships’, for Ships, by HAKUHODO Gravity / HAKUHODO Cabin, Tokyo
Innovation
From 29 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Smart Eye Camera’, for OUI Inc, by TBWA\HAKUHODO / OUI, Tokyo
Integrated
From 25 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 2 Silver and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Kung Fries’, for McDonald’s Prospect Hospitality, by Leo Taiwan, Taipei
Media
From 157 entries received, 1 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘The Sponsored Truth’, for Samsung, by Leo, Kuala Lumpur
Music
From 37 entries received, 4 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Project: Memory Card’, for PlayStation, by SIX INC / HAKUHODO, Tokyo
Outdoor
From 181 entries received, 14 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 7 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Commuter Camo’, for KitKat, by VML, Sydney
PR
From 114 entries received, 9 Spikes were awarded: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Print & Publishing
From 29 entries received, 3 Spikes were awarded: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Inglish Dictionary’, for Air India Express, by Juice, Gurgaon
Social & Creator
From 131 entries received, 12 Spikes were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 6 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Vaseline, by Ogilvy, Singapore
Media Network of the Year went to Starcom with Mindshare and Wavemaker in the top three.
The production Spikes Palm award went to Suneta House, Thailand followed by The Sweetshop, Aotearoa New Zealand and Studio Eeksaurus, India.
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