Leo Scoops Grand Effie For Suncorp, BMF & ALDI Win Effective Agency & Advertiser Of The Year

Leo Australia has scooped The Grand Effie at this year’s Australian Effie Awards for its work with Suncorp.

Leo’s entry, ‘From Recovery to Resilience: How Suncorp Rewrote Insurance Rules and Revitalised Its Business,’ was billed as a brilliant case study in business and brand transformation by this year’s judges – the result of a long-term and multi-dimensional commitment to reframing insurance category norms through campaigns such as One House to Save Many, Resilience Road, and If Your Home Could Talk.

“This particular entry was a showcase of effectiveness that all marketers should aspire to,” said the judges. “It was a cleverly delivered, disruptive, and fun execution that overcame significant challenges, resulting in fantastic, well-proven, and impressive ROI, increased market share, and consideration gains.”

Overall, six Gold Effies were awarded at the awards event tonight in Sydney, along with 21 Silver and 28 Bronze awards, and five Special Awards, bringing the total number of agencies recognised for outstanding measurable results to 24 and the number of clients to 26.

BMF was named Effective Agency of the Year, scooping one gold and four silvers for ALDI Australia, as well as one silver for the Attorney-General’s Department. In turn, Effective Advertiser of the Year went to ALDI, for BMF’s entry ‘Proving That Going Extra Needn’t Cost Extra, How ALDI Pushed the Boat out to Bring Aussies in at Christmas’.

“This was an excellent, clearly structured submission,” said the judges, who praised powerful insights that informed a sound strategy and the campaign’s tight narrative, execution, and comprehensive understanding of the consumer.

“We appreciate how a fearful subject was skillfully turned into a positive conversation, leading to great work and solid evidence of impact,” they said.

The judges also awarded two golds to Clemenger BBDO’s entry ‘Lifeblood Blood Supply: How a Media First Elevated Blood Donation Into a National News Story, Saving Up to 28,848 Lives’ for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, stating it was ‘a well-integrated and effective campaign which delivered impressive results across all metrics, saving more lives.”

VML Australia also picked up two golds – one for ‘How ADF Careers Drove Effectiveness and Efficiency’ for Defence Force Recruiting, and another for ‘KitKat Break Chair’ for Nestlé, which the judges deemed an outstanding, innovative, and highly effective campaign built on the strength of its thought and planning.

The Colin Wilson-Brown Award, which honours the Effie Chairman, was presented to Saatchi & Saatchi Australia for Toyota’s entry ‘The Ultimate Comeback: How a Seasoned Champion Reclaimed the Crown.’

Tony Hale, CEO, Advertising Council Australia, said: “The Effies have always been about celebrating marketing that truly delivers. This year, we saw an increased number of winners, reflecting a growing focus across the industry on work that moves the needle, challenges conventions, and demonstrates the value of creative impact. Congratulations to all who were recognised for their outstanding achievements.”

Clare Pickens, CEO of the triumphant Leo had this to say, “What an incredible night! The Effies hold a special place for us at Leo because we believe our creative work should drive real business impact – and continue to do so over time. Winning the Grand Effie for long-term effectiveness with our Suncorp partners is a tremendous honour. It reflects the talent and dedication of so many across our team. And it speaks directly to our ambition to create ideas that go beyond campaigns – shaping culture, building brands, and delivering lasting value for our clients.”

Gold Effie winners by category below and all the winners below that.

All the winners: