AUCKLAND, Today: The 2025 IAB New Zealand Digital Advertising Awards took over Shed 10 last night, celebrating the ideas, tech and talent driving Aotearoa’s digital advertising industry. It was the biggest show in the event’s nine-year history.
Dentsu Media Aotearoa won Best in Show, Together was named Media Agency of the Year, NZME took Media Publisher of the Year, Infinitum won Digital Product or Service of the Year and TVNZ Blacksand claimed Creative Agency of the Year.
Award entries were up 20% year on year, with 130 judges and 470 guests at a sold-out event recognising an industry generating over $2.42 billion in digital revenue in 2024.
Convenor of Judges and MediaWorks GM of Technology, Product and Data Gareth Codd said, “The digital advertising industry brought its A-game this year. The standout campaigns were the ones that combined technology, creativity and consumer insights to make a real impact.”
Dentsu Media Aotearoa took the Grand Award for Best in Show for The Export Ultra “Cold Call Back Service,” which also picked up golds for digital audio, social, brand, and retail/eCommerce. In total, Dentsu Media Aotearoa walked away with seven golds and six silvers across the night.
Together won Media Agency of the Year for standout work using innovative data and technology to drive business growth, also earning four golds and two silvers.
NZME won Media Publisher of the Year for the second straight year, and NZME’s Ester Monti took home the Grand Award for Emerging Talent.
Infinitum won the Grand Award for Digital Product or Service of the Year for launching Infinitum, its new analytics platform for streamed broadcast video campaigns.
“Congratulations to all the winners for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and embracing new ways of working.” – Angelina Farry, IAB New Zealand CEO
TVNZ Blacksand won Creative Agency of the Year for work blending television’s cultural influence with digital innovation, with TVNZ also taking four golds and one silver.
Kate Grigg, Head of Publicis Media Exchange NZ and Chair of the IAB Digital Effectiveness Council, won the Grand Award for Service to the Industry.
The IAB New Zealand Council Member of the Year Award went to Tina Trenkner-Meade, founder of AI consultancy Signal & Light and member of the Retail & eCommerce Working Group.
Other standout wins included Hearts & Science and Insiders with three golds and one silver for Animates: The Pawprint Petition, and Motion Sickness with two golds and a silver for ‘Making New Zealand The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes’.
IAB New Zealand CEO Angelina Farry says, “Our industry is at the cutting edge of digital transformation and each year the work it produces continues to lift the bar.
“We received a strong response to the new Best Use of Generative AI award category, which earned the highest score from the judges this year. Congratulations to all the winners for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and embracing new ways of working.”
For the full list of winners click here.
Thanks to all 2025 IAB New Zealand Advertising Awards sponsors including Blis, Hype & Dexter, LUMO, Market Media, Meta, NZME, Perion, rova, Sky, Stuff Group, The Trade Desk, Trade Me, TVNZ and Vistar Media.
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