Ahead of the B&T Awards at the end of November, we’ll be showcasing all of the finalists’ incredible work from our Campaigns of the Year award categories.
This is the first in our B&T Awards – The Work series and we’re taking a look at the finalists in the Best Consumer PR Campaign category.
As part of each submission, we ask agencies to submit a maximum 300-word condensed version of their entry. Below, it’s pasted verbatim. It’s their take on why they should win. But only the judges will decide.
To find out who wins first, make sure you buy your tickets for the B&T Awards. It’s on 27 November 2026 in Sydney.
And don’t forget our live judging day for Agency of the Year and some Leadership and Marketing awards on 5 November, also in Sydney. Click here to see if you’ll need to suit up and present to our formidable in-person jury.
Adhesive, ‘TikTok – Catch, Check, Choose’, TikTok
We live in a digital world, and with the benefits of technology comes increased risk of scams, deepfakes and misleading information. Despite the warnings, many Australians are still too trusting. Recognising this, TikTok decided to use the power of its platform to get Australians to stop and think before engaging or reacting.
We didn’t want to just talk to TikTok, social or digital media users. With AUD$2.18B lost in scams in 2025, it was clear that anyone can be impacted by this issue, so we needed to reach all Australians 16 years+.
We did something only TikTok could: built a strategy that harnessed the unique power and reach of the platform to educate through entertainment. Fusing creativity with community participation, we transformed a complex safety challenge into a memorable cultural moment.
We encouraged Australians to stop, think, and play an active role in keeping themselves and each other safe, using a simple message they could remember, repeat and share, built on an easy three-step framework created with cyber security experts: Catch, Check, Choose (3Cs).
We brought this to life through an original, unforgettable song written, produced and performed by musician and creator Dom Littrich and dance, created by choreographer and director Stephen Tannos.
Designed to take the concept of critical thinking into mainstream culture, we released TikTok AUNZ’s first commercial song on TikTok and Spotify. We exploded it across channels, with a diverse pool of creators, research data, and expert, creator and brand spokesperson interviews.
Combining entertainment, multiple voices and channels, we created a cultural moment that generated wide mass media coverage and social engagement. We got Australians from all walks of life (including Bill Shorten!) singing and dancing in support of critical thinking, while TikTok strengthened its reputation as a trusted leader helping Australians stay safe.
Belgravia Leisure, ‘A Soak in the Spotlight’, Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa
When Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, Australia’s oldest continually operating bathhouse, closed for eight months during its 130th anniversary year for essential renovations, the challenge was significant. The closure impacted visibility, bookings and revenue, while a standard reopening announcement was unlikely to generate meaningful attention.
Research showed audiences weren’t motivated by the fact the venue was reopening. They were motivated by inspiration, escapism and culturally relevant experiences. The opportunity was to transform a necessary business interruption into a story people wanted to engage with.
The breakthrough came when the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa PR team secured the largest off-site challenge in Ch 9’s The Block’s history. Five teams designed and helped build five private bathing rooms as part of the renovation project, aligning the redevelopment with one of Australia’s most popular television programs. The partnership delivered four weeks of primetime national exposure at no cost and repositioned the closure as a compelling lifestyle story.
The strategy focused on maximising every moment of the partnership through earned, owned and shared media. National travel and lifestyle coverage was secured before reopening, while media relations, social content, influencer engagement, user-generated content and destination storytelling maintained momentum throughout the broadcast period and beyond.
The campaign generated 117 earned media stories, increasing to 710 with syndications, reaching 9.1 million people and exceeding the media KPI by 485%. Combined with The Block’s audience, total unpaid reach exceeded 15.6 million people.
Commercial results were equally strong. Revenue increased 35% year on year, website engagement rose significantly and web conversion purchases grew 163%, with trust measures also improving significantly.
For a miniscule budget, the campaign transformed a major operational challenge into a nationally recognised success story, proving that creativity, strategic thinking and strong media relations can deliver outstanding business results even under significant constraints.
Bumpp, ’84 Cents Is All It Takes: A small cost to end a geographic inequality’, The Shepherd Centre
For nearly 25 years, essential paediatric cochlear implant care in NSW relied on philanthropy to bridge a critical funding gap. By 2026, NSW was the only Australian state without full government funding. The question was simple:
“Why should a child’s access to support depend on where they were born?”
With services at risk of scaling back, a $2.58 million annual gap and just 12 weeks until the NSW Budget, We turned a $20.4 million funding challenge into an 84 cent question of fairness.
Independent polling showed 85% of NSW residents believed the Government should guarantee funding. Families bravely shared their experiences, while parliamentarians and the community amplified their voices, all without paid media or celebrities.
With a $30,000 PR budget, the campaign used three precisely sequenced media stories to build public awareness and accountability. A 7News story put this gap on the statewide agenda. The Illawarra Mercury brought it into Health Minister Ryan Park’s electorate. Finally, an ABC National Special Report featured newborn twins who underwent an Australian-first cochlear implant surgery together.
When ABC sought comment, the Government confirmed under embargo it would fund the program. The story was reworked overnight, with Minister Park announcing the commitment on camera. The $20.4 million was publicly confirmed through his media release and social channels, then formalised in the NSW Budget. A landmark announcement.
The campaign generated 86 pieces of earned coverage, reached more than 2.63 million people, achieved almost 130,000 organic social views and was raised twice in NSW Parliament.
Most importantly, NSW became the final state to fully fund paediatric cochlear implant pre- and post- surgical care, benefiting around 1,000 children each year, after families carried this uncertainty for far too long.
No big budget. No famous faces. Just evidence, families and community standing up for fair access and systemic change.
Special PR, ‘HBO Max: Christmas Knight Bus’, HBO Max
To reignite Harry Potter fandom on HBO Max during the competitive Christmas window, research highlighted peak festive nostalgia alongside a key Sydney friction point: chaotic, expensive December traffic.
We transformed everyday transit into a free, high-utility brand moment by bringing the iconic Knight Bus to life. SMART targets aimed to secure 20+ earned coverage pieces (10M+ OTS), 15+ creator posts (100% positive sentiment), host 40+ media at a preview, and drive double-digit December platform viewership.
Over December 13–14, a purple triple-decker “Christmas Knight Bus”, fitted with beds, trunks, and film props, offered free hop-on, hop-off rides across Sydney (The Rocks, Paddington, Bondi):
– VIP Launch & Broadcast: Hosted 50 creators and journalists for an exclusive preview with in-character conductors. Superfan spokesperson Anthony Farah anchored live national crosses on Weekend Today.
– Digital Extension: A custom TikTok AR filter allowed fans nationwide to step inside the bus digitally, scaling local physical reach into a national moment.
The campaign smashed all communications and business KPIs:
– Earned Media & Reach: 71 editorial coverage pieces (255% above KPI) generating 15.6M OTS.
– Social Engagement: 67+ organic creator posts (235% above KPI) with 12,252 engagements and 100% positive sentiment.
– Attendance: 50+ media at preview, 500+ passengers, and 5,000+ public interactions.
– Business Impact: Positioned HBO Max as the ultimate holiday streaming destination, expanding Harry Potter titles in December’s Top 20 list from one to three.
Hello, ‘Stan Can’, Brookvale Union
Brookvale Union had a fame problem. Despite improving brand health, spontaneous awareness lagged behind competitors in an increasingly crowded category. Our challenge was to make its distinctive Quality Nonsense impossible to miss.
As Official Ginger Beer of the Australian Open, we embedded Brookvale Union in tennis culture and remained ready when culture created something better than we ever could.
During Stan Wawrinka’s match, a fan accidentally dropped their Brookvale Union onto centre court. Stan picked it up, pretended to sip, and the crowd, then social, erupted.
Most brands would have reposted it.
We engineered the sequel.
With Stan’s next match potentially his final Australian Open appearance, within 24 hours we secured his management, couriered Brookvale Union to him, briefed Getty photographers and coordinated with Tennis Australia.
After his final match, Stan pulled two Brookvale Union Ginger Beers from his esky during his live centre-court farewell, handed one to Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley and toasted his Australian Open career in front of a global audience.
Then the PR machine went to work. Global broadcast carried the moment. Getty imagery drove international syndication. News and sports media took it worldwide. Viral clips flooded social. The following day, we created another news beat with “Stan with the Can” serving fans at Brookvale Union’s Australian Open bar.
In less than 48 hours, one accidental sip generated 1.8B+ earned reach, 1,000+ media hits, 2M+ social engagements and $36M estimated earned media value from just $40K in talent investment.
Most importantly, fame translated into brand impact, driving a 2-point increase in spontaneous awareness nationally.
Stan’s first sip was luck.
We manufactured everything that happened next.
Howatson+Company, ‘Petbarn Foundation Rescue Mission’, Petbarn Foundation
Every February, the Petbarn Foundation’s Rescue Mission sets one goal: rehome 1,000 dogs. Despite years of campaigning, awareness had plateaued and action had stalled. Research with shelters nationwide uncovered why: 66% of Australians believed rescue dogs were “tricky,” 50% underestimated their adaptability, and shelters were sitting at crisis-level 87% capacity. This wasn’t an awareness problem it was a belief problem.
Traditional charity messaging, guilt-driven appeals and sad-eyed imagery, was preaching to the converted. Howatson+Company needed to dismantle the “hard work” stigma and move Australians from passive awareness to active belief that a rescue dog would fit into their life.
Social running had exploded into a cultural behaviour across Australia. Movement is the new community coffee catch-up. Proprietary research revealed a data match that blew the myth apart: 97% of surrendered dogs thrive with active owners, and 87% of adopted rescues flourish in active households. Rather than another staged charity ad, the team built the Rescue Run Club, an authentic ecosystem proving shelter dogs fit high-performance lives, anchored in total authenticity by partnering with Australian endurance athlete Nedd Brockmann and his own rescue dog Dougie, appointed Chief Rescue Officer, just weeks after Nedd received his 2026 Young Australian of the Year honour.
The press office converted creator assets into mass PR hooks, driving nationwide broadcast packages across Sunrise, Kyle & Jackie O, ABC, 7News, 9News and 10News.
The results: 1,955 dogs rehomed, an 894% increase (+282% year-on-year), from 280+ editorial pieces generating 38 million estimated reach, 14 million+ social impressions and $1.3M in earned media value. By entwining influence with action, the campaign reframed adoption from a good deed into an everyday Australian lifestyle choice. Proving purpose-driven stories can shift culture, one run and one rescue at a time.
Ogilvy Health, ‘St John Ambulance Australia – Pocket AED launch’, St John Ambulance Australia
Challenge & Insight
Every day, over 80 Australians suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, yet defibrillators are often far away. With survival chances dropping 10% for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, St John Ambulance Australia needed to launch its 700g Pocket External Automated Defibrillator (AED) by making emergency preparedness feel personal, practical, and portable. The insight was simple: No one plans to be unprepared, but a cardiac arrest gives you no time to get ready.
Strategy & Execution
‘Help is Already Here’ became the organising idea, reframing the Pocket AED from specialist equipment into everyday readiness.
Ogilvy Health developed the launch campaign which subverted Australia’s obsession with roadside ‘Big Things’ by unveiling ‘Australia’s Smallest Big Thing’ in Sydney’s CBD. A dramatic, large curtain-drop revealing not another monument, but a life-saving device no larger than a soft drink can.
The launch was amplified across earned, owned, and social channels, providing newsrooms with a human-centred story alongside the event reveal. There was a deliberate strategy to target regional, local and rural media to speak to communities who are often far from medical help.
Effectiveness & Results
The campaign converted public attention into immediate action with zero traditional advertising:
• 904 earned media pieces reaching over 8 million people across Sunrise, Seven News, Nine News, 10 News, and hundreds of regional radio pieces.
• 60,000 YouTube views across unboxing and demonstration videos.
• 400 units sold in the first two weeks, generating $800,000 in revenue to reinvest into community programs and services.
By reframing a 700-gram medical device as a national landmark and a personal conversation, St John and Ogilvy Health successfully brought defibrillators into omnipresent, portable reach with the potential to save lives, no matter where people work, relax and play.
Ogilvy PR, ‘KFC Postie – Official Business’, KFC
KFC Official Business
When a postie was reportedly sacked for stepping into KFC outside his designated lunch break, the story quickly became more than a workplace controversy. It was funny, frustrating and instantly relatable: a person punished for giving in to a craving everyone understood.
Insight: A KFC craving does not run to a schedule.
This was the sharp cultural truth KFC could own. The story was not really about rules or rostered breaks; it was about the absurdity of trying to regulate an impulsive, human craving. KFC has always had permission to celebrate those moments when people give in, not grow up. So when the news cycle handed the brand a story about someone being punished for doing exactly that, KFC had a natural role to play.
Idea: Turn a KFC craving into “official business”.
KFC created postcards addressed to its own restaurants and sent them through the postal system. When posties found one on their route, they had a legitimate reason to enter KFC: they were delivering mail. In return, they received a free meal. It was a simple loophole, perfectly connected to the behaviour at the heart of the story, and unmistakably KFC in tone — cheeky, generous and just rebellious enough.
The execution needed no paid media, app, code or complex redemption mechanic. The postcard was the media channel, the postal system was the delivery mechanism, the free feed was the reward. By reacting quickly while the original story was still live, KFC transformed a small news item into a nationally shareable brand moment.
Results
54 pieces of earned coverage.
78,546,853 total reach.
Zero media spend.
Coverage across major Australian media including News.com.au, The Sydney Morning Herald, Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph.
Reinforced KFC’s role as the brand that understands, celebrates and rewards irresistible cravings.
Paper and Spark x Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, ‘Cat No. 9 Eau de Purrfume’, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health had no product launch, formulation change or regulatory milestone to create a natural news moment for NexGard SPECTRA® for Cats. What it did have was independent research demonstrating its low-odour advantage, an important benefit for animals that rely heavily on scent.
Paper + Spark turned that product truth into Cat No. 9 Eau de Purrfume: a limited-edition fragrance for humans, made with scents cats love. The unexpected idea gave journalists and consumers a reason to engage with feline scent sensitivity, parasite protection and why low odour matters.
Working with artisan perfumer Jocelyn Fullerton and television personality and committed cat lover Jessica Rowe, Paper + Spark made the fragrance real. Jessica helped develop and test Cat No. 9 with her own cats, featured in campaign creative and launched the idea through broadcast and social channels.
Media and more than 50 cat-obsessed creators received luxury-style packages containing Cat No. 9 alongside NexGard SPECTRA® for Cats. Recipients discovered the fragrance before encountering the independent odour research, science and product story behind it. Paper + Spark targeted mainstream, lifestyle, beauty and fragrance media alongside traditional pet channels, expanding the campaign far beyond its category.
Within its first week, Cat No. 9 secured coverage including The Morning Show, The Daily Telegraph, The Adelaide Advertiser, 6PR and 3AW, with further media and creator activity continuing.
Most importantly, attention translated into commercial impact. From June to August 2026, NexGard SPECTRA® for Cats recorded an initial 8% spike in sales and brand uplift of 5%, while Boehringer Ingelheim teams in more than three international markets began exploring local adaptations.
Cat No. 9 turned a technical product advantage into a consumer story capable of generating culture, conversation and commercial results.
Thinkerbell, ‘Little Listings’, Mattel Brick Shop
In mid 2025, Mattel set out to launch Mattel Brick Shop, a range of car building sets under the Hot Wheels brand featuring engineered, car-specific components like windshields, doors, and die-cast metal.
However, Mattel faced a 50-year LEGO monopoly in the ‘construction toy’ aisle. It only had a modest budget for this launch, so a media-spending contest wasn’t going to cut it.
Rather than fight in the toy aisle, where ‘building’ meant ‘bricks’, we set our sights firmly on the earned world of automotive press and key opinion leaders.
Leveraging Hot Wheels’ 50 years of automotive credibility, we took our 1:18 scale models and treated them like genuine vehicles.
The insight: Mattel Brick Shop’s building sets looked so much like real cars, we would launch them like real cars, borrowing the language, visual codes and tropes of the car world and the realism would validate itself, anchoring the sets as a desirable automotive collectible for adults.
We partnered with carsales.com.au and instead of placing ads, we simply listed our models as if they were real cars for sale, featuring images shot by professional automotive photographers. We engaged real racing legend – Craig Lowndes – to construct his own custom-built Mercedes benz 300 SL and list it on the platform himself, giving us a narrative for the media that Craig was “selling his Mercedes” on carsales.com.au, driving consumers to the carsales platform. We also engaged real car reviewers to give the sets a test drive, and seeded them to automotive and revhead influencers.
This PR-led strategy prioritised contextual disruption over paid reach. The earned groundswell generated over 29 million earned reach, sold Craig’s car in 18 seconds. Commercial impact was immediate: Mattel captured 7% market share in the construction aisle, and cleared its warehouse, selling 14,000 units in 14 weeks.
Thinkerbell, ‘Hellmann’s Mayo-Dispensing Bow Tie With Kalyn Ponga’, Hellmann’s / Unilever
Hellmann’s has long been a leader in mayonnaise: rich, creamy and undeniably premium. But in a competitive condiment category filled with entrenched behaviours and familiar choices, brand recognition alone wasn’t enough. Under its bold new “Hell Yeah” platform, Hellmann’s needed to prove it could elevate every meal, not just at home, but anywhere Australians eat.
The BYO Bow was an earned-first PR idea that turned a hidden Australian behaviour into a national conversation. Research revealed 4.2 million Australians secretly bring their own sauce to restaurants, a guilty habit rarely admitted publicly. With no paid media, Hellmann’s needed an idea bold enough to earn attention organically.
We created The BYO Bow: the world’s first mayonnaise-dispensing bow tie, a premium fashion accessory designed to discreetly dispense Hellmann’s with a gentle squeeze. By transforming Hellmann’s iconic blue bow logo into functional culture, we created something irresistible for media, influencers and the public.
Rather than treat it as a novelty, we executed the bow as luxury. We partnered with Melbourne designer REIGNER to create a striking blue bow tie with intricate embroidery and a sleek hidden nozzle, bringing fashion credibility to the most unexpected condiment.
To amplify its cultural appeal, we enlisted NRL superstar and mayonnaise lover, Kalyn Ponga, a figure synonymous with confidence and style, to champion the campaign.
From paparazzi-style leaks to a red carpet appearance at the ARIA Awards, the campaign infiltrated culture, sneaking Hellmann’s into restaurants, headlines and social feeds.
We hit 77 million earned impressions, tripling our KPIs. And most importantly, while the category slumped (-3.6%), Hellmann’s saw +18% growth, sneaking Hellmann’s into culture and shopping carts. Hell Yeah.
We Are Different, ‘I Can’t Wait: My First School Poo’, Kleenex
Kleenex turned childhood’s last great taboo into Australia’s most important back-to-school conversation.
Introducing ‘I Can’t Wait: My First School Poo’ – an education tool disguised as a children’s book that gave parents the confidence, language and practical tools to prepare children for one of school’s biggest unspoken milestones, their first school poo.
With thousands of copies distributed and over one hundred early childhood learning centres engaged, My First School Poo didn’t just generate PR buzz – it drove tangible behaviour change and helped align Kleenex as partner in the messier parts of parenting, both inside and outside the bathroom.
