Four brands have been shortlisted for the 2026 SBS Media Sustainability Challenge.
The brands who will proceed to formal pitching are Australian Museum, Mobile Muster, Recycle All, and Vehicle Emissions Star Rating.
The SBS Media Sustainability Challenge is an initiative offering brands and agencies $500,000 in free advertising inventory for the best TV creative normalising sustainable behaviour and highlighting better environmental consumer practices.
The winning ad will also receive consulting services through Sustainable Screens Australia to help ensure it meets best practice for sustainable production.
The shortlisted brands including their creative agencies are: Enigma with their entry for Mobile Muster; Focus Creative with their entry for Vehicle Emissions Star Rating; Howatson + Company with their entries for Australian Museum; Sandbox Media with their entry for Recycle All.
SBS Cultural Connect national manager and jury member, Kate Young said: “We want to congratulate our shortlisted brands – as with last year we were impressed with the level of creativity and consideration put into their submissions and how they showcased how their brand or product is normalising sustainable consumer behaviours,”
The jury includes: Adam Liaw, co-chair of Sustainable Screens Australia; Arum Nixon, Australia chapter lead at Ad Net Zero; Abigail Thomas, head of sustainability at SBS; Kate Young, national manager, SBS CulturalConnect; and Angus Gordon, head of creative & production services, SBS CulturalConnect.
In 2026, the challenge has been updated to ask brands to focus on one of three areas: how your brand protects and restores the natural environment; how your brand reduces carbon emissions; and how your brand minimises waste through sustainable practices or innovations.
Young added: “We were so impressed with how this year’s entrants adapted their entries to meet the new criteria and address the areas of nature, carbon and waste. It is a clear demonstration of how brands are thinking about these topics in their business practices and ensuring they are communicating this to consumers,”
The winner will be announced later in the year.
