Ogilvy South Africa has been named the #1 Creative Agency in the region at this years One Show Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards shows in advertising and design. The agency earned 19 awards for work created for the Volkswagen, Audi and Vaseline brands, reinforcing South Africa's growing influence on the global creative stage.
The recognition was driven by three campaigns that showcase the power of creativity to create meaningful impact for brands, culture and society. For Audi South Africa, the work demonstrated how a premium automotive brand can engage authentically with younger audiences by participating in culture through platforms like TikTok.
For Vaseline South Africa, a cross-market collaboration with Ogilvy Singapore that celebrated the heritage-rich rituals and behaviours familiar to generations of South Africans, inviting consumers to become active participants in the brand story across various social platforms.
Volkswagen South Africa's acclaimed Night School road safety initiative, further demonstrated how creativity can address real societal challenges while strengthening brand relevance.
Pete Case, CEO and creative chairman, comments: “What an amazing result for our teams and clients. We’re incredibly proud to be recognised as the number one creative agency in our region. More than the award itself, it reflects what’s possible when brave clients, talented people and powerful ideas come together. At Ogilvy, we believe that the best creativity meaningfully land in culture and these campaigns demonstrate exactly that. Huge congratulations to our teams, who continue to partner with our clients to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
While the campaigns served different audiences and objectives, they shared the common belief that creativity is at its most powerful when it creates value beyond advertising, strengthening brands, shaping culture and making a positive impact in people's lives.
Case concludes: "This achievement also speaks to the strength of long-term partnerships between clients and agencies willing to tackle ambitious challenges together. South African creativity continues to prove that world-class ideas can emerge from a deep understanding of people, culture and business. More than a ranking, the results signal the growing global relevance of ideas originating from Africa, ideas capable of shaping culture, delivering business outcomes and contributing meaningfully to society.”
