New Zealand advertising industry awards and rankings

The New Zealand advertising and marketing industry has seen significant recognition for various agencies through recent awards and rankings.

In late September, The Comms Council announced the finalists for the 2026 Effie Awards Aotearoa. McCann New Zealand led the finalists with 23 placements, followed by Special New Zealand with 16 and Colenso BBDO with 13. Notable shortlisted campaigns included Special’s ‘How Exposed Am I?’ for the National Cyber Security Centre and McCann New Zealand’s ‘Cheat Codes’ for Mercury. Other recognized campaigns included Bad Magic’s ‘The Recorder That Moved a Government’ for NZEI Te Riu Roa.

By early October, McCann New Zealand extended its position in the 2026 Creative Circle League Table with 16 points. Other agencies in the rankings included Motion Sickness, Bad Magic, and Pitchblack Partners. In the Production Company League Table, Sweet Shop held the top position.

On 22 October, the 2026 Effie Awards Aotearoa celebrated its 25th anniversary. McCann New Zealand secured the Grand Effie and was named Most Effective Agency of the Year, winning five of the eight Gold awards. Other Gold winners included AA Insurance, New World, NZTA Waka Kotahi, and Goodman Fielder, while TBWA New Zealand earned a Gold for Tourism New Zealand’s international marketing.

Concurrently, the 2026 Cartology Campaign of the Year Awards recognized excellence in the retail media sector. Lion’s Speight’s 150th Birthday campaign was named Campaign of the Year. Other winners included Colgate-Palmolive as Partner of the Year, Tegel for Best Omnichannel Campaign over $100k, and Asahi Beverages for Best Digital Strategy.