If 2024 were a grand final, Special would be leaving the stadium with the premiership cup in one hand and a wheelbarrow full of silverware in the other. Celebrating a decade in the game, the agency hit peak form, blending creativity, commerce, culture and conscience into a season to remember.

Their lineup was deep and dangerous. With campaigns such as Uber Eats’ ‘Get Almost, Almost Anything’ (featuring Cher), Bonds’ ‘As Worn by Us’, and the Shift 20 Initiative with the Dylan Alcott Foundation, Special showed it could not only dominate the scoreboard but shape the code itself.

Its work travelled globally, landed Super Bowl airtime, and reset expectations around what an Australasian indie can do on the world stage.

The awards haul was, frankly, ridiculous: seven Agency of the Year titles, 17 effectiveness trophies, and major wins across some of the world’s biggest awards programs.

And to top it all off, it won in the talent game. Special ranked #1 in the Williams Report for best agency leadership, most successful and most attractive employer brand. Its people-first culture, innovative policies, and commitment to diversity and inclusion have proven that it’s building a place where stars want to play and stay.

There are still a few areas for improvement, with a 19 per cent gender pay gap and modest diversity at senior levels (8 per cent), suggesting that there’s more work ahead. But the intent is clear, the energy is high, and the scoreboard doesn’t lie.