This year, we’re proud to spotlight the sharpest strategic thinking and the boldest creative work in Australian marketing. These finalists have delivered measurable commercial impact, pushed creative boundaries and set new benchmarks for the profession.

Our finalists, drawn from across Australia, span organisations of every size and sector, from ASX-listed brands and government agencies to not-for-profits, boutique agencies and independent marketers. Their work reflects the full breadth of modern marketing practice, from acquisition and brand revitalisation to data-led strategy and the emerging use of AI in campaign delivery.

These finalists represent more than standout campaigns. They represent the marketers, teams and agencies behind the work – professionals who have translated insight into strategy and strategy into results, setting the standard for what excellence in Australian marketing looks like in 2026.

The National Finalists for the 2026 AMI Marketing Excellence Awards have been announced today, Wednesday 15 July 2026, following review by a judging panel of 86 Certified Practising Marketers (CPMs) from across the country.

 

Acquisition Marketing

• Better off | Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) | Paper + Spark
• BBL Melbourne Derby – Choose Your Side | Cricket Australia
• Club Med x Gelato Messina | Club Med
• Club Med Winter 2027 Pre-Registration Campaign | Club Med
• Score More This Summer with Liquorland | Coles Liquor
• Day Zero Sale | Anytime Fitness
• LJ Hooker, The Difference | LJ Hooker
• AMW Brisbane 2026: New City, New Audience, Record Results | The Creative Collective
• Nautica Charters – Navigating a New Course: From Third-Party Reliance to 13.5x ROI | Bloom Digital
• The GPT Acquisition Engine – Record-Breaking Growth Across 16 Centres | GPT Retail 

Australian Made Excellence Award

• Australian Made Frames: Custom Frame Quality, Made Better | Profile Products (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Magellan Power
• Chameleon Sand Candle | Chameleon Candle Co Pty Ltd
• Tambo Teddies – Childhood Friends for Life | Tambo Teddies Pty Ltd
• Crafted With Capral | Capral Aluminium
• Australian Made, Australian Tough, Australian Proud, That’s Crimsafe | Crimsafe
• Ethical Brand Co
• Sandy Snoots Dog Life Jackets | Sandy Snoots
• Perfecting the Art of Sleep | John Cotton Australia

B2B Marketing Excellence

• The One | I.M.A B2B
• Transforming Marketing into a Revenue Engine | Wingman Group
• We’ve Got You – Campbells Wholesale | Paper + Spark
• Challenger Lifetime Campaign | Challenger
• How Affinda Became Unmissable in B2B Search | Content Rebels
• MLC Expand: Expanding What’s Possible | Insignia Financial
• Gallagher Business Rewards & imar’s The Shed | Wink
• McMillan Shakespeare Group | Wink
• Don’t Ask Why, Ask WEX | WEX Australia

Brand Revitalisation

• Lean Cuisine “Listen To Nobody But Your Body” | Patties Food Group | Arize Communications
• More & More | Tangerine Telecom | Royals
• ADF Careers Masterbrand | Defence Force Recruiting | VML | Universal McCann
• Simply Liquorland Transformation | Coles Liquorland
• The Difference | LJ Hooker | Uber Brand
• EVO Power – Power Your Way | Floodlight Agency
• Burbank, The Pursuit of Living | Burbank Homes | Equality Media + Marketing
• Now You Can | Pitstop Marketing | Great Southern RV
• Western Australia Walking On A Dream | Tourism WA | The Brand Agency

Content & Social Media Marketing

• RISER Collective & Total Beauty Network | Theory Crew
• The Wake Up Call | Apparent | GTI
• They Said “Yes”: How Adelaide University Got Engaged | Adelaide University
• Big Banking, Local Impact | Pitstop Marketing
• Penrite Oil – 100 Years. Still Driven. | Penrite Oil
• “For Every You” Campaign | Accor
• Overcome It With Numit | Ego Pharmaceuticals
• Partnerships Social Media | Challenger

 Creative Effectiveness

• Beat the Price Rise | Pitstop Marketing | Great Southern RV
• How Ms Scarfe Helped Harris Scarfe Grow | Harris Scarfe | Neighbourhood Strategy | Nunn Media | Daniel Pizzato
• Pork Stir Fry | Australian Pork Limited | Dig Agency | Enigma Communications | Slingshot Media
• Answer the Call | Apparent | GTI
• Offline | Pacific Fair Shopping Centre | The GPT Group
• SafeWork NSW Irreplaceable Advertising Campaign | Department of Customer Service NSW
• Carols by Candlelight 2025 | Vision Australia | ntegrity agency
• Anytime Fitness – Find Your Fitphoria | Anytime Fitness Australia | Akcelo | Involved Media
• RMIT University – What the Future?! Global Brand Campaign | RMIT University | Dentsu Creative Australia

Data & Insight-Driven Marketing

• 113 Minutes | Camojee
• SafeWork NSW Irreplaceable Advertising Campaign | Department of Customer Service NSW
• We Hear You: A Women’s Health Campaign for Luma, Built on the Data the Healthcare System Had Been Missing | Bonfire
• From Insight to Impact: Data-Led Growth Strategy at Weber ANZ | Weber | Blackstone ANZ
• Appliances Online Loyalty and Engagement Marketing | Wink

Excellence in Customer Experience

• RAA Rewards | Wink
• Empowering Reproductive Autonomy: A Digital-First CX Transformation | 3 Phase Marketing
• We’ve Got You – Campbells Wholesale | Paper + Spark
• Sony Digital Imaging Cashback Campaigns | Wink
• “For Every You” Campaign | Accor

Excellence in the Use of AI & Technology

• HubSpot & Breeze AI for Emerging Minds | Outta Spatial
• 24/7 TikTok Live Stream – Big Brother Australia 2025 | Network 10
• The AI Content Engine Built to Be Given Away | Content Rebels
• CventIQ | Cvent
• Midjourney, Nano Banana, OpenArt Kling Model, Sonauto.ai | The Core Agency

 Experiential and Event Marketing

• Carols by Candlelight 2025 | Vision Australia | ntegrity agency
• Future Forums – From Idea to Impact | Paper + Spark | Endeavour Energy
• HMRI Poo Palace | Hunter Medical Research Institute
• Heartfelt Guernsey | QBE Insurance | The Core Agency
• Liquorland x Golf Australian Open 2025 | Coles Liquorland
• It’s a Pretty Big Deal | Australian Institute of Business
• Field of Light 10 Year Anniversary | Voyages Tourism Australia
• How Tassal Seafood Became the Protein of Summer by Owning 1st December 2025 | Tassal Seafood | Havas Media | Host Havas | Communicado
• Libertas & Melbourne Fashion Festival Partnership | Coles Liquorland

Marketing Strategy

• ecostore – For Your World | ecostore
• Lifestyle Patios: Market Intelligence–Led Marketing Strategy | Nimble Growth
• Anything Menopause Campaign | Priceline Pharmacy | Wesfarmers Health
• Competing to Win: An Insight-Led Commercial Growth Strategy at Weber ANZ | Weber | Blackstone
• 175 Years of Leadership for Good | The University of Sydney
• Guardian Plan: Marketing Strategy | Wonderthink
• “For Every You” Campaign | Accor
• Turn Someday into Today | Heartland Bank Australia

Not for Profit Marketing

• YourIVFSuccess – UNSW Centre for Big Data Research in Health | Paper + Spark | UNSW
• Misunderstood: A Public Pulse Check into Perceptions of Australian Veterans | RAAFA
• Bravehearts – Grooming Hides Behind Harmless | Engine Group
• International Guide Dog Day | Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
• 1,168% More Australians Finding Their Way to Support | Interrelate | Content Rebels
• We Breathe – Tackling Indigenous Smoking Campaign | Grand Pacific Health | BC Film Aus | Beans Marketing
• Many STIs Are Hidden. All Are Treatable | Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia | Sexual Health Victoria
• Make It Manufacturing | Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance | The Creative Works
• Carols by Candlelight 2025 | Vision Australia | Integrity agency

 Product or Service Launch or Relaunch

• McMillan Shakespeare Group | Wink
• Anything Menopause | Priceline Pharmacy | Wesfarmers Health
• Poco Vino – A Little Wine | Australian Vintage
• Closing the Gap: The Weber Spirit E-425 Relaunch and National Retail Ranging Strategy | Weber | Blackstone ANZ
• The University of Sydney – MBA (Technology and Digital Strategy) Launch | The University of Sydney
• Big Brother Australia 2025 | Paramount ANZ, Network 10
• Challenger IM LiFTS 1Notes | Challenger Limited
• Get #FertilityFit – Merck Healthcare | Paper + Spark
• MetLife 360Health: Engaging Members Through Insurance | Hostplus
• World360 Rewards | Wink

Public Sector Marketing

• Metro Tunnel Opening | Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority | Metro Tunnel Project Office
• Young Drivers 2025 – “Sucks To Be You” | Department of the Premier and Cabinet & South Australia Police | Showpony
• Great Sex Starts With Consent | ACT Government
• Youth Free Travel | Department of Transport and Planning | TABOO | Snack Drawer
• Call healthdirect Campaign | NSW Health | Ogilvy Australia | Ogilvy PR | OMD | Orima Research

 Retention & Loyalty

• Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Foster and Kinship Care Loyalty Program | Anglicare Southern Queensland
• HCF Thank You App | Wink
• Mastercard Travel Rewards ANZ Venue Programme | Wink

Small Budget Marketing

• IAPCO Dear Associations Campaign | Zadro Agency
• Nautica Charters – Full Steam Ahead to 13.5x ROI | Bloom Digital
• Down Syndrome NSW – EOFY Tax Appeal | The Creative Collective
• YourIVFSuccess – UNSW Centre for Big Data Research in Health | Paper + Spark
• Mystery Bottles | Corowa Distilling Co

Sustainability and Purpose-Driven Marketing

• Brisbane Airport’s Supporting the Community Campaign | Brisbane Airport Corporation
• Let’s Get It Sorted | Logan City Council | RUMBLE Strategic Creative
• Sydney Water Royal Easter Show Brand Activation | Elastic part of IVE Group
• Turbine Made – Bolero Fins | ACCIONA Energía
• Bincoin | Container Exchange
• Plastics: Unsealed | The Talia Institute
• The Great Unwaste – Toastie Challenge | Power House Consulting Services
• The Box – City of Subiaco WA Mental Health Week Campaign | City of Subiaco
• Safcol Sustainability Journey | Safcol Australia
• Living with Purpose: Inspiring Australians to Live the Circular Way | Flourish PR
• WA Gas: We Pay the Price | Australian Conservation Foundation | Mustard Creative | Array Productions

The Lisa Ronson Emerging Marketer of the Year

• Darshan Hitesh Pawani – Performance Manager, Starcom
• Gigi Parikh – Marketing Manager, Fidante
• Laura Jeffries – Associate Product Marketing Manager, Google
• Rhianna Lieu – Integrated Media and Marketing Manager, Paper + Spark
• Jose Alejandro Plazas Garrido – Senior Digital Marketing Specialist, Them Advertising

 Future Leader of the Year

• Josh Fritz – Founder & Managing Director, Patch Agency
• Katherine Venus – Head of Small Business Marketing, NAB
• Rob Di Giovanni – Head of Marketing, Bonfire
• Sophie Harris – Senior Manager, Brand & Marketing Operations, Wesfarmers Health
• Margot Alais – Head of Creative & Production, Paper + Spark

CPM of the Year

• Jo Rao – General Manager Marketing, Wink
• Hayley Boneham – Head of Brand, Experience & Innovation, Capital Partners
• Steve Fontanot – Commercial Managing Director APAC, Havas Red & Managing Director, Havas Blvd
• Kate Coleridge – Owner, Coleridge Creative
• Hunter Leonard – CEO & Founder, Blue Frog Marketing

 CMO of the Year

• Renee Howie – Chief Customer Officer, Insignia Financial
• Anand Surujpal – Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, Patties Food Group
• Joanne Smith – Chief Brand, Innovation and Communications Officer, Blackmores Group
• Matt Vince – Chief Commercial & Risk Officer, Tassal Seafood
• Caroline Raj – Senior Director, Marketing, ServiceNow

Agency of the Year – Under 50 Employees

• MKTG Sports + Entertainment
• The Dubs Agency
• Floodlight Agency
• Outta Spatial
• Bonfire
• Bennett
• The Creative Collective
• Wink
• Paper + Spark
• Anchora

Agency of the Year – Over 50 Employees

• Thinkerbell
• Apparent

Marketing Team of the Year

• Customer, Trade Planning & Loyalty Team | Coles Liquorland
• Anytime Fitness Australia
• Origin Marketing Team
• Development Victoria Marketing Team
• Ingenia Holidays Marketing
• Wesfarmers Health Retail Marketing Team
• Marketing and Communications, The University of Sydney
• Tassal Seafood Marketing Team
• Peninsula Hot Springs Marketing Team

 Congratulations to all this year’s finalists.

We hope you’ll join us at the 2026 AMI Marketing Excellence Awards Lunch on Friday, 11 September in Sydney, as we celebrate Australia’s leading marketing talent and announce this year’s winners. Whether you’re attending as an individual or bringing your team, colleagues or clients, it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate this achievement together. We encourage you to book a table and be part of this special occasion.

Book your Marketing Excellence Awards Lunch Tickets here 

For our Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) members, we’re pleased to offer a special bundle package covering both the CPM Summit on Thursday, 10 September and the AMI Marketing Excellence Awards Lunch on Friday, 11 September.

Secure your bundle here

If you’re not yet a CPM member and would like to attend the CPM Summit, please contact our Membership team to discuss becoming a CPM and accessing this exclusive offer.

Congratulations once again on becoming a finalist, we look forward to celebrating with you in September.

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