MFA Awards Finalists Announced
Innovative media thinking and change-making campaigns for KFC, LEGO, McDonald’s, NRMA, Paramount+, Samsung, Suncorp Group and Tourism Australia are among the many brands going head-to-head as finalists in the 2023 MFA Awards, to be announced on 21 September.
Chosen from a record number of entries, agency finalists include small and large agencies, local independents and multinationals.
Close to 150 judges, including eight CMO Signature Judges, participated in the judging this year, adding a strong advertiser voice to the selection process. Collectively the judges looked for work that demonstrated effectiveness, long-term business growth and media agencies’ industry purpose of We Are The Changers.
The judges commended this year’s entries for displaying innovative solutions and strong results for clients.
Signature judge Martin Brown, general manager, Nestlé Coffee & Dairy, said: “It was a pleasure to join an excellent judging panel to review the 2023 MFA Awards. We were looking for breakthrough ideas that delivered exceptional brand and business results. The judging panel were delighted to recommend finalists that delivered to that expectation.”
This Is Flow chief strategy officer and partner and MFA Awards steering committee member Catherine Rushton added: “We were thrilled to see the diversity of high-calibre work this year, with a range of agencies and client brands entering from all aspects of our industry. This added a welcome new flavour to the style of work showcased. Being a judge is always an inspiring experience and this year’s entries delivered an impressive display of inventiveness, effectiveness and storytelling prowess, as evidenced in the worthy list of finalists.”
MFA CEO Sophie Madden added: “The MFA Awards recognise and reward work that has delivered tangible brand and business results for clients in the short and long term, living up to our industry’s ability to influence change. It’s been incredibly encouraging to see the quality of strategic thinking and collaboration being deployed by our members and their clients, and the results they deliver. We can’t wait to celebrate with all the worthy finalists and winners on 21 September.”
The Grand Prix (presented by Seven), and awards for Industry Contribution and Hall of Fame will also be announced at the MFA Awards gala dinner on Thursday 21 September 2023 at Royal Randwick Sydney. The awards will follow on from the MFA EX conference. MFA EX will also be held in Melbourne on 5 September 2023.
The 2023 MFA Awards finalists are:
OUTCOME
Behaviour Change
Containers for Change (COEX), Turning Trash Into Cash, EssenceMediacom
Leukaemia Foundation, World’s Greatest Shave 2023, OMD
Suncorp Group, AAMI – Crash Index, OMD & Ogilvy
Brand Impact
Campari, Seizing Summer for Aperol Spritz, Mindshare
LEGO, LEGO City Goes NITRO!, Initiative Australia
NRMA Insurance, Cricket Covers, Initiative Australia
Business Impact
LEGO, LEGO City Goes NITRO!, Initiative Australia
Leukaemia Foundation, World’s Greatest Shave 2023, OMD
Data-Led Activation – Sponsored by News Corp
Kayo Sports, Using Data to Win the Game, Mindshare
Suncorp Group, AAMI – Crash Index, OMD & Ogilvy
Long-Term Results
Care Pharmaceuticals, From Sick Days to Every Day: How we doubled the size of Hydralyte by making rehydration more relevant, This Is Flow
Lotterywest, Ethical Econometrics, Initiative Australia
Tourism Whitsundays, Siri-ously in Need of a Holiday?, Wavemaker
EXECUTION
Best Content Strategy
Defence Force Recruiting, Ultimate Classroom, UM Australia
Netflix, Stranger Things 4 Launch, Wavemaker
Prime Video, Taking Aussies Back to ’07, Initiative Australia
Best Integrated Campaign
LEGO, LEGO City Goes NITRO!, Initiative Australia
McDonald’s, Macca’s Monopoly – Seeing is Believing, OMD
Sprite The Coca-Cola Company, Zesty Pep Talks by Sprite Lemon+, EssenceMediacom
Best Use of Small Budget
Amazon Prime Video AUNZ, Terminal Tournament Takeover, Initiative Australia
LEGO, LEGO City Goes NITRO!, Initiative Australia
Roadshow Films, FALL: How a Little Movie Gave Australia a Big Feeling of Vertigo, OMD
Universal Sony Home Entertainment, How a Small Budget Was Key to Driving Greater Media Value and Effectiveness for Universal Sony Home Entertainment’s Bullet Train, Slingshot Media
Environmental, Social & Governance Award – sponsored by SBS Media
Alienware by Dell, Levelling the Playing Field in Gaming, EssenceMediacom & POPSUGAR
Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Take a Step, Media Precinct
Suncorp Group, AAMI – Crash Index, OMD & Ogilvy
Innovation in Media
Digital Sustainability Initiative, GroupM
NRMA Insurance, Cricket Covers, Initiative Australia
Samsung Australia, Flipvertising, CHEP Network
Media For Good
Digital Sustainability Initiative, GroupM
Taking Responsibility: The Media Responsibility Index Changing Media and Marketing for the Better, Mediabrands
Alienware by Dell, Levelling the Playing Field in Gaming, EssenceMediacom & POPSUGAR
Partnership Awards
Alienware by Dell, Levelling the Playing Field in Gaming, EssenceMediacom & POPSUGAR
Amazon Prime Video AUNZ, Terminal Tournament Takeover, Initiative Australia
LEGO, LEGO City Goes NITRO!, Initiative Australia
CHANNEL EXCELLENCE
Best Use of Audio
LEGO, How to Build a Human, Initiative Australia & Mamamia
Mars Petcare, WHISKAS Audio Purrs, EssenceMediacom
Paramount+, The ART of Drag, Wavemaker
Best Use of Outdoor – sponsored by Outdoor Media Association (OMA)
Campari, Spritzing the Yarra with Aperol, Mindshare
NRMA Insurance, Cricket Covers, Initiative Australia
Best Use of Retail
IAG, Point of Purchase Protection, Initiative Australia
Universal Sony Home Entertainment, How Universal Sony Home Entertainment’s Bullet Train Created a Media-First Retail Partnership to Drive Results, Slingshot Media
Best Use of Screens
Amazon Prime Video AUNZ, Terminal Tournament Takeover, Initiative Australia
NRMA Insurance, Proud Helpers of Australian Cricket, Initiative Australia
Suncorp Group, AAMI – Grand Clanger Rescue, OMD
Tourism Australia, How Screens Powered Australia’s Invite to the World to Come and Say G’Day, UM Australia
Best Use of Search
Care For Kids Group, Finding The Right Local Childcare, Intender
Cash Converters, Evolving SEM to an Automated Dynamic Ecommerce Model via Value-Based Bidding, Carat
Best Use of Social
Colgate-Palmolive Australia, Colgate Sound of a Smile, Wavemaker
KFC, Modern Menu, EssenceMediacom & GroupM Nexus
Netflix, Welcome to the Upside Down Under, Wavemaker
Tourism New Zealand, If You Seek, Mindshare
Best Use of Technology
Containers for Change (COEX), Turning Trash Into Cash, EssenceMediacom, Sightline & Finecast
Samsung Australia, Flipvertising, CHEP Network
Virgin Australia, Flight Deck, PHD Australia
Events & Experiential
Campari, Spritzing the Yarra with Aperol, Mindshare
Dell, Dell XPS: Choose your own Youniverse, EssenceMediacom
LEGO, LEGO City Goes NITRO!, Initiative Australia
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Agency Talent & Culture – Less than 100 employees
Match & Wood
Ryvalmedia
The Media Store
This is Flow
Agency Talent & Culture – More than 100 employees
GroupM
Initiative Australia
PHD Australia
Wavemaker
Pro Bono/Cause Marketing Incentive – In recognition of Pam Lane
UnLTD & Radio Lollipop, Helping children’s charity radio grow its reach, Match & Wood
Kindness Factory, Supporting communities in need, Wavemaker
NGEN Award
Rebecca Cramer & Lara Wainwright, Rufus Powered by Initiative Australia
Ellie Begg, PHD Australia & Sophie Mateer, Initiative Australia
Tania Teurquetil & Janice Tsang, Havas Media
Kate O’Loughlin & Summer Treseder, Initiative Australia
The 2023 MFA Awards sponsors are:
Grand Prix Sponsor: Seven Network
Platinum Sponsors: News Corp Australia, Outdoor Media Association, SBS Media
Gold Sponsors: Ad Standards, Meta, Nine
Silver Sponsors: Foxtel Media, Lion, OzTAM, Yahoo!
Please login with linkedin to comment
MFA AwardsLatest News
Kantar: AVOD Subscribers Double In 12 Months
Study finds Aussies happy to watch ads on their streaming services. Or, are they just putting the kettle on more often?
Val Morgan Digital Exceeds All Campaign Uplift Benchmarks Via A 12-Month Brand Metrics Study
Val Morgan announces it has exceeded all its campaign benchmarks. Still can't get under an hour for the City To Surf.
Australian Retirement Trust launches monster of a campaign, by M&C Saatchi and Bohemia
Get offered a seat on the bus today? Knees creak like an old pirate's galleon? This retirement ad may be of interest.
Print Audits To Discontinue As Audited Media Association Of Australia Pivots To Support Influencer Marketing
Is it just B&T or are audits in the media industry suddenly becoming murkier than Roxy's husband's tax returns?
News Corp Australia Launches 2024 National Education Advocacy Initiative With Expanded Program
News Corp set to shine a light on the nation's schools in new series, giving illegal bikie gangs a well-earned rest.
Decoding The Consumer Maze: Urban List Report Reveals How Modern Shoppers Spiral From Discovery To Purchase
Latest report unravels a shopper's journey from the joy of discovery through to a nasty letter from a debt collector.
Cosmo Returns To Australia!
Ever get the feeling we've weirdly warped back to 1988 at the moment? Confirm it with the relaunch of Cosmo in print.
People & Culture Consultancy Human Kind Collective Launches To Plug HR Gap For Media Agencies
Does the very mention of HR have you struggling to remember last year's Christmas party? Get the sweats with this news.
‘We Want To Be A Growth Partner, Not Just A Media Buyer Or Someone That Makes Ads’ – Bohemia Boss On Agency’s Ambition
M&C Saatchi Group’s media agency, Bohemia, has turned around its fortunes since Paul ‘Hutch’ Hutchison took the helm 18 months ago. In 2023, the agency won a slew of new business, rolled out a new market proposition and improved employee engagement. Hutch caught up with B&T to explain the next steps in his three-year transformation […]
Initiative’s Geoff Clarke: ‘Youth Hits Targets With Enthusiasm, Experience Hits The Targets You Can’t See’
There are few in adland with such vast experience as IPG Mediabrands and Initiative’s chief operating officer Geoff Clarke. Starting in the industry more than 30 years ago, Clarke has held positions such as investment director, chief investment officer, client partner and managing director. Speaking on behalf of the Experience Advocacy Taskforce, Clarke explained why […]
The Iconic Teams Up With 5 Aussie Athletes For Latest Campaign
Fashion and lifestyle platform, THE ICONIC, has joined forces with five iconic Aussie athletes – Rohan Browning, Rachael Gunn, Calab Law, Alexa Leary, and Rheed McCracken – in the latest instalment of its ‘Got You Looking’ campaign. Lead image: Rohan Browning, Rachael Gunn, Calab Law, Alexa Leary, and Rheed McCracken Much like THE ICONIC itself, […]
Seven West Media Secures New Director Of News & Current Affairs
Seven West Media (SWM) today announced the appointment of Anthony De Ceglie as director of news and current affairs and editor-in-chief at Seven West Media. De Ceglie is currently editor-in-chief of The West Australian, The Sunday Times, PerthNow and its suburban newspapers, 19 regional newspapers and SWM’s recently launched The Nightly digital newspaper. He has […]
Seven Network Expands NSW Sales Team With Two New Group Business Directors
The Seven Network has announced the appointment of two new group business directors, James Mielnik and Julia Scales, effective 1 May. The new recruits report to Seven’s NSW sales director, Dan Sinfield, and will be responsible for leading Seven’s relationships with advertisers and their media agencies. A highly experienced sales manager with a media career […]
New PR Subscription Changing The Game For Aussie Start Ups
A new subscription service is changing the game for Australian start-ups for a fixed cost of less than one thousand dollars a month. In this economic climate we know that start-ups are finding it difficult to afford advertising as well as robust public relations campaigns. Project Ignite empowers these Founders to get some initial cut-through […]
Paul Kent At Centre Of Fresh Scandal After Alleged Street Brawl
In this week’s edition of sports professionals behaving badly, controversial Daily Telegraph NRL journalist and host of Fox Sports’ NRL 360, Paul Kent, is in hot water (again) over a video posted to social media allegedly depicting him in a violent brawl outside Totti’s in Sydney’s Inner West. The clip allegedly depicts Kent engaged in […]
DiDi Taps Disney’s Tim Farmer For Head Of Brand Marketing Role
DiDi has appointed Tim Farmer as head of brand marketing in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to his new role at the rideshare company, Farmer spent eight years at The Walt Disney Company, rising from a partnerships lead to become its marketing director responsible for Disney+, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight and Nat Geo. “One of the […]
As Sure As Night Becomes Day, The End Of Third-Party Cookies Has Been Delayed
Last week, Google took the not-unexpected step of delaying the end of third-party cookies again. Citing “ongoing challenges” and “divergent feedback” from different corners of the digital advertising industry, Google delayed the end of third-party cookies from the “second half of Q4” to early 2025. Much of the dragging has come from Google having to […]
Fast 10: Scoundrel’s Tim Bullock Explains What Shane Warne & Salt-N-Pepa Have In Common
In this latest instalment of the Fast 10 series, Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham chats with Tim Bullock, director and founder of production house Scoundrel. You know Bullock’s work, even if you don’t know his name, having directed huge spots for the likes of VB and Toyota, working with creative agencies such as The Monkeys and Saatchi […]
Outbrain Snatches Chris Oxley From Foxtel Media
Outbrain has appointed Chris Oxley as the country manager for Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Bringing over 18 years of experience in digital media, Oxley will lead the charge in driving the expansion of Outbrain’s advertising business across ANZ and Singapore. In his role, Oxley will oversee the development and implementation of Outbrain’s commercial strategy […]
oOh!media & POLY Partner With Greening Australia For OOH Awareness Campaign
To mark oOh!media’s community partnership with Greening Australia, creative and innovation hub, POLY has developed a two-phase campaign that leverages weather triggers and dynamic digital executions to drive brand awareness and donations. Greening Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation with over 40 years of experience restoring Australia’s diverse landscapes and protecting biodiversity. oOh! announced its […]
Are Media Cares For The Carers In Its Latest Social Change Campaign
Are Media together with Carers Australia and a coalition of carer support and advocacy groups, are joining forces to call on both the Federal Government and the Opposition to add superannuation to the fortnightly Carers Payment. Last month, The Inquiry into Unpaid Carers recommended the Australian Government consider options to incentivise and recognise the impact […]
In A Fragmented World, Engagement Is King
Today, B&T TV's talking fragmentation & engagement. But not in a down-on-one-knee sense of the word.
Kyle Sandilands On Advertising: “We Want Return Business. It’s No Good Just Taking Someone’s Money”
Today is a big day in radio. After years of dominating the Sydney ratings, the Kyle & Jackie O show is launching in Melbourne. Whilst some have sworn that Melbournians won’t like the controversial show, Kyle Sandilands is confident of its universal appeal. “The only difference if you’re a regular listener in the Sydney market […]
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.